White House Christmas tree Henry Hoover began the tradition of presidential wives decorating the White House tree with the first "official" White House Christmas tree in 1929. In 1961 First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began the tradition of selecting a theme for the White House Christmas tree by decorating with a Nutcracker motif. As stated, there were years where no indoor White House Christmas tree was installed at all. It is verifiable that there was no Christmas tree in the White House in 1902, 1904, 1907, and 1922. The lack of a tree in 1902 was due to the fact that President Theodore Roosevelt had
Inauguration of Franklin Pierce Inauguration of Franklin Pierce The inauguration of Franklin Pierce as the 14th President of the United States was held on Friday, March 4, 1853 on the East Portico at the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.. The inauguration marked the commencement of Franklin Pierce's only four-year term as President and William R. King's only term as Vice President. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney administered the presidential oath of office. Pierce affirmed the oath of office rather than swear it, and was also the first president to recite his inaugural address from memory. Ill with tuberculosis, King was in Cuba in