PRESIDENTIAL YEAR: Historians would probably say that the most talked-about years of a president's life or his later legacy are, without a doubt, his years in the White House. It seems obvious to say so, and this isn't always the case, but that is the four- or eight-year period of the president's history that gets scrutinized, looked over, and discussed at length. But a U.S. president's centennial is a later anniversary that also figures into the larger story of the leader. Centennials are often marked with parades, speeches, exhibits, lectures, and other events marking the president's journey to Washington, D.C. A presidential library is usually the headquarters for all centennial-related happenings, as the Richard Nixon Presidential Library & Museum in Yorba Linda will be doing in 2013.
START DATE: The grand opening to the centennial year begins on Sunday, Jan. 6. The ceremony will including the laying of a ceremonial White House wreath by the president's daughter Tricia Nixon Cox, remarks by Congressman Ed Royce, a military presentation of colors, and more events. A Harrier fighter jet will also fly over the proceedings.
MORE TO COME: The nature of a centennial is that it indeed fills a year, so watch the library's site for more events. Of course, we're fond of how the library greets President's Day, with appearances by Lincoln, Washington, and some free cherry pie. That isn't part of the centennial, but a reminder of the role the Nixon Library plays in the community. There's also a trees and trains holiday display at the library through Jan. 2, 2013.
