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Preparations continue for the Presidential Inauguration on the West Front of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 16, 2013. US President Barack Obama will be ceremonially sworn-in for a second term on January 21.

There's a rich history to the Presidential inaugurations of the past. Emphasis on the "rich."

President Obama has raised at least $42 million for when he re-takes the oath of office. It's a far cry from the event's humble beginnings.

For a look at the history of the inauguration, and how it brings together regular people with DC's elite, is Kenneth C Davis, historian and author of, "Don't Know Much About the American Presidents."