President Reagan giving his 1st Inaugural Address at the U.S. Capitol. January 20, 1981. Before Ronald Reagan was sworn in as the 40th president, Inaugural ceremonies at the U.S. Capitol faced eastward. When Ronald Reagan’s team from California came to scout the location, they immediately moved to switch the ceremony to the west side of the building. From the west vantage point, cameras could pan out to an open view of the National Mall and its monuments. Since then, every presidential ...
