Presidential inauguration ceremonies didn’t always mean booking A-list celebrity performers and garnering over a million attendees.
In fact, former president George W. Bush attracted an approximate total of 700,000 attendees for both of his swearing-in ceremonies combined.
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Nearly 900,000 people are expected to attend President-elect Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony and inaugural parade on Friday, according to the D.C. Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
» Guide to the AJC’s inauguration coverage
And performers for Trump's inaugural ceremonies include "America's Got Talent" finalist Jackie Evancho, American country music artist Lee Greenwood, rock group 3 Doors Down, singer Toby Keith, YouTube stars The Piano Guys, DJ Ravidrums, The Frontmen of Country and Jon Voight.
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It's important to note that the exact number of attendees isn't so easy to count. For decades, the National Park Service provided official crowd estimates for gatherings on the National Mall, according to the Associated Press. But that changed after 1995.
To come up with this compilation, we relied on news archives to give you the data.
» Photos: The Inauguration of Donald Trump
So, how do Trump’s attendance estimates and list of performers stack up against past presidential inaugurations?
Here’s a look back at the past 11:
Barack Obama, 2013
Attendance: Approximately 1 million attended Obama's second inauguration, according to CNN.
Notable performers: Beyoncé and Kelly Clarkson
Barack Obama, 2009
Attendance: 1.8 million, according to CNN
Notable performers: U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman
George W. Bush, 2005
Attendance: 400,000, according to the New York Times
Notable performers: Technical Sgt. Bradley Bennett, Denyce Graves, Susan Graham
George W. Bush, 2001
Attendance: 300,000, according to the New York Times
Notable performers: Staff Sgt. Alec T. Maly, Ricky Martin and Jessica Simpson
Bill Clinton, 1997
Attendance: "Hundreds of thousands" attended, according to the New York Times.
Notable performers: Santita Jackson and the Resurrection Choir
Bill Clinton, 1992
Credit: Leif Skoogfors
Credit: Leif Skoogfors
Attendance: 250,000, according to the New York Times
Notable performers: Marilyn Horne
George H.W. Bush, 1989
Credit: Hulton Archive
Credit: Hulton Archive
Attendance: "Tens of thousands" attended, according to the New York Times.
Notable performers: Staff Sgt. Alvy Powell
» Photos: George H. W. Bush through the years
Ronald Reagan, 1985
Attendance: 140,000 attended, according to the New York Times.
Notable performers: The U.S. Marine Band, Jesse Norman
» Photos: Remembering Ronald Reagan, 1911-2004
Ronald Reagan, 1981
Attendance: 10,000, according to the New York Times
Notable performers: Juanita Booker (Frank Sinatra and Ethel Merman performed at balls)
Jimmy Carter, 1977
Credit: AJC file
Credit: AJC file
Attendance: More than 250,000 attended, according to New York Daily News.
Notable performers: Cantor Issac Goodfriend, U.S. Marine Band
» Photos: Jimmy Carter through the years
Richard M. Nixon, 1973
Attendance: According to the New York Times, "thousands of persons" attended Nixon's second inauguration.
Notable performers: Ethel Ennis
President Richard M. Nixon, 1969
Attendance: 65,000 people attended, according to the Washington Post.
Notable performers: Mormon Tabernacle Choir, U.S. Marine Band
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