Barack Obama is sworn in as the first African-American president of the United States on January 20, 2009.
Washington (CNN) -- Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin notes each inauguration is moving in its own way, but only a few produce moments that are truly memorable.
"It depends upon the person and the occasion to really produce a historic inaugural speech," Goodwin said. "But the ceremony itself ... is a real tribute to the country, that a person who was the president can go out and become a private citizen (while) a new private citizen is becoming the president."
"It's peaceful," she says, and "that's an extraordinary thing in the history of our world."
Here are 10 inaugural moments that Goodwin says have stood the test of time:
2009: Obama's historic inauguration
2009: Obama makes history
There was a magic to the inaugural day for President Barack Obama. ... (It was) as if the whole history of our country was coming full circle -- the ending of slavery and now the first African-American president. So the crowds were reveling in that spirit -- 1.8 million (people), more than had ever been there before.
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Just the idea that we had come this far as a nation. There was a sense of unity and a sense of pride, I think, in our country that this was finally happening.
1981: Reagan's return to optimism
1981: Reagan's optimistic first inaugural speech
What was so impressive about Ronald Reagan's inaugural speech, I think, was the optimism that it suggested after a period when America was feeling like we might have been in decline. Even though he had the exact opposite message as Franklin Roosevelt, where he was talking about government as the problem rather than the solution, both Reagan and FDR shared that American sense that we can do things.
In a certain sense, the optimism of the speech was symbolized by (Reagan's) transferring the inaugural to the West Front of the Capitol, which made a much grander spectacle.
More people could watch it, so it was a big occasion.
1977: Carter walks among the people
1977: Carter's long walk
Jimmy Carter made the decision evidently just three weeks before the inauguration that he would walk after his inauguration back to the White House. And it really was an extraordinary moment. ... There was a feeling with Carter that he was being a people's president, as opposed to the imperial guard that had surrounded Nixon. And so he's walking, (and first daughter) Amy is running around next to him. There's a sense of exuberance, and a sense that something special is happening.
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1961: JFK's famous inaugural address
1961: JFK's stirring address
What is so memorable about John F. Kennedy saying that the torch is being passed to a new generation is that he himself represented a new generation. (He was) 22 years younger than Dwight Eisenhower, and what the speech promised was action, movement, (and) a new energy coming into the government and into the country.
When we think of those famous words -- "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for the country" -- it was followed up by thousands of people wanting to join the Peace Corps, and the Civil Rights movement was already out there. There was a sense of working on poverty, so the words projected action, and that's what makes them memorable.
What always strikes me about JFK's inaugural (address), however, is that he said in the course of it ... that all this would not be accomplished in 1,000 days, meaning the programs that he had outlined. Originally in the draft of it, he had said all of this would not be accomplished in 100 days, but he slashed it out because he did not want to be compared to FDR's 100 days. But little would he ever imagine that 1,000 days would mark the end of his life, and that that would be his presidency.
1945: FDR's simple inaugural ceremony
1945: FDR's abbreviated wartime ceremony
Roosevelt decided in 1945, when the war was still ongoing, to dispense with the traditional parade. Who is there to parade, he said, and so he made it a very simple ceremony (at the White House).
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He himself was suffering from heart failure at that time, so it was a five-minute speech and he needed to fortify himself with whiskey in order to get through the pain that he was feeling. So sadly, the physical state of FDR matched the mood at that time.
1933: FDR projects optimism in speech
1933: FDR's dramatic first inaugural speech
We all remember the phrase "the only thing we have to fear is fear itself," but even more important than the phrase was the attitude that FDR had. He projected optimism, he projected forward movement, and people felt -- that's the mystery of leadership -- that somehow the (Great) Depression they were suffering (through), they weren't going to be in it alone anymore. ... They had a leader who was going to take care of it.
Hoover, however, was very upset during the transition about what FDR did not do. He was hoping some action would be taking place while he was still president, but FDR wanted to wait (and) have a clean slate while he was president. ... Hoover was very angry about that, and there was lots of tension between the two.
1905: Roosevelt's diverse inaugural
1905: TR's eclectic parade
What's interesting about Theodore Roosevelt's inaugural parade is that it symbolized the many-sided character that TR was.
So there you have Harvard alums marching side by side with Indians, marching side by side with cowboys, with Rough Riders. ... And Chief Geronimo was there. There was a sense in which TR had so many interests.
There were different sides of him, and the parade symbolized that. It just seemed like this incredibly eclectic parade.
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1865: Lincoln talks of 'sin of slavery'
1865: Lincoln strives to unite North and South
What's so extraordinary about Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural is that here the North is finally on the eve of winning this long Civil War, but no triumphal message does he deliver. ... He talks about the fact that the sin of slavery was shared by both sides. Both sides read the same Bible. Both prayed to same God.
Of course the words we remember -- with malice toward none and charity for all. Lincoln knew that inaugural spoke words that would be remembered. He wasn't as sure about some of his other speeches, but he knew that.
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When he went into the party after the inaugural, the one person who he wanted to know and get his approval from was Frederick Douglas, the abolitionist. And Douglas came over to him and said, 'Mr. President, it's a sacred effort.'
1841: Harrison braves the cold
1841: The tragedy of William Henry Harrison
It's so sad that what we remember William Henry Harrison for is not (his) military service before the presidency, but the fact that he gave the longest inaugural (speech) and had the shortest presidency.
He insisted on not wearing a coat (during the ceremony). It was freezing out, he developed pneumonia, and he died. That is the memory of William Henry Harrison. I'm sure it's not the way he would hope to be remembered.
They finally learned from Harrison's inaugural. ... When it was freezing weather during Ronald Reagan's (second) inaugural they moved it inside and canceled the parade. It's one of the dangers of having these inaugurations in January or even in March in the old days.
1789: Washington sets the tone
The thing that's so interesting (about) Washington's inaugural is that it set so many precedents. Even in that week before his inaugural, they were debating what to call him.
Some people like John Adams wanted the president to be called his Mightiness or his Highness. Thomas Jefferson said, 'No, it must simply be "Mr. President." ' Adams said, 'That's nothing. He could be president of a garden club. It won't be dignified for the world at large.' But of course (Washington) becomes Mr. President.
Everything was setting a pattern. It was an extraordinary moment.
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George W. Bush stands next to his wife, Laura, and his two daughters at his second inauguration on January 20, 2005.
George W. Bush is sworn in for his first term on January 20, 2001.
Bill Clinton is sworn in for the second time on January 20, 1997.
Bill Clinton takes his first inaugural oath on January 20, 1993.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist administers the oath of office to President George H. W. Bush on January 20, 1989.
Ronald Reagan is sworn in on January 21, 1985, at the U.S. Capitol for his second term by Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger.
Ronald Reagan is sworn in as 40th president of the United States on January 20, 1981.
Jimmy Carter is sworn in on January 20, 1977.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger swears in Gerald Ford on August 9, 1974, after the resignation of President Richard Nixon.
Chief Justice Warren E. Burger administers the oath of office to Richard M. Nixon for his second term at the U.S. Capitol, January 20, 1973.
Richard Nixon takes the oath of office as he is sworn in as the 37th president of the United States on January 20, 1969.
Lyndon B. Johnson, left, is sworn in for his second term by Chief Justice Earl Warren on January 20, 1965.
Lyndon B. Johnson takes the oath of office on November 22, 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy's widow, Jacqueline, stands at Johnson's side. U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes swore in Johnson on Air Force One.
John F. Kennedy is sworn in on January 20, 1961.
A crowd gathers outside the U.S. Capitol for Dwight D. Eisenhower's second inauguration on January 20, 1957.
Dwight D. Eisenhower takes the oath of office on January 20, 1953.
President Harry S. Truman waves to the crowd from a car during a parade after his inauguration speech on January 20, 1949.
Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone administers the oath of office to Harry S. Truman in the Cabinet Room of the White House on April 12, 1945, after death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Franklin D. Roosevelt delivers his fourth and final inauguration speech on January 20, 1945. He was the last president allowed to hold more than two terms.
Franklin D. Roosevelt gives his third inaugural address on January 20, 1941.
Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes Sr. administers the oath of office to Franklin D. Roosevelt for his second term on January 20, 1937. This marked the first January event; before this, inaugurations were traditionally held in March.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt is sworn in for his first term on March 4, 1933.
Herbert Hoover's inauguration is held on March 4, 1929.
Calvin Coolidge is sworn in for his second term on March 4, 1925.
Calvin Coolidge is given the oath of office by his father, Col. John Coolidge, in Plymouth, Vermont, on August 3, 1923, after the death of President Warren G. Harding.
Warren G. Harding is sworn in on March 4, 1921.
Soldiers pass the viewing stand during the inaugural ceremony for Woodrow Wilson's second term on March 4, 1917.
Woodrow Wilson's first inauguration was held on March 4, 1913.
William Howard Taft was inaugurated on March 4, 1909.
Theodore Roosevelt takes the oath of office for his second term on March 4, 1905.
Theodore Roosevelt takes the oath of office in Buffalo, New York, on September 14, 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley.
Chief Justice Melville Fuller administers the oath of office to President William McKinley for his second term on March 4, 1901.
William McKinley takes his first the oath of office on March 4, 1897.
Grover Cleveland's second inauguration is held on March 4, 1893.
Chief Justice Melville W. Fuller administers the oath of office to Benjamin Harrison on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1889. Harrison served between Cleveland's two terms.
Grover Cleveland delivers his first inaugural address to the crowd on the east portico of U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1885.
New York Supreme Court Justice John R. Brady administers the oath of office to Vice President Chester A. Arthur in a private ceremony in Arthur's residence in New York on September 20, 1881, after the assassination of President James A. Garfield.
Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite administers the oath of office to James A. Garfield on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1881.
Rutherford B. Hayes takes the oath of office from Chief Justice Morrison R. Waite on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 5, 1877.
Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase administers the oath of office for Ulysses S. Grant's second term on March 4, 1873.
Ulysses S. Grant takes his first oath of office, administered by Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase, on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on March 4, 1869.
Andrew Johnson takes the oath of office from Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase in Washington on April 15, 1865, after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
Abraham Lincoln take the oath of office for the second time on March 4, 1865.
The first inauguration of Abraham Lincoln takes place on March 4, 1861.
James Buchanan's inauguration is held at the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1857.
Chief Justice Roger B. Taney administers the oath of office to Franklin Pierce on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol on March 4, 1853.
Millard Fillmore was sworn in on July 10, 1850, after the death of President Zachary Taylor.
Zachary Taylor is sworn in on March 5, 1849.
James K. Polk was sworn in on March 4, 1845.
John Tyler took the oath of office on April 6, 1841, after the death of William Henry Harrison, who died after just 32 days in office.
William Henry Harrison took the oath of office on March 4, 1841.
Martin Van Buren was inaugurated on March 4, 1837.
Andrew Jackson was sworn in for his second term on March 4, 1833.
Andrew Jackson was inaugurated for his first term on March 4, 1829, on the east portico of the U.S. Capitol.
John Quincy Adams was sworn into office on March 4, 1825.
James Monroe was sworn in for his second term on March 4, 1821.
James Monroe was sworn in for his first term on March 4, 1817.
James Madison was inaugurated for his second term on March 4, 1813.
James Madison was sworn in for his first term on March 4, 1809.
Thomas Jefferson was sworn in for his second term on March 4, 1805.
Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated for his first term on March 4, 1801.
John Adams was inaugurated on March 4, 1797.
George Washington stands outside his carriage at his second inauguration on March 4, 1793.
Sword by his side, George Washington takes his inaugural oath as the first president of the United States on April 30, 1789.
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