After the death of President John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson was sworn-in as President in what unusual setting?

In the chaotic hours following President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas on November 22, 1963, ensuring a swift and stable transfer of power was paramount. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was quickly escorted to the presidential aircraft at Dallas Love Field for his own safety and for a rapid return to Washington, D.C. It was decided that he should be sworn into office before the plane ever left the ground, providing a clear signal to the nation and the world that the U.S. government was intact and functioning.

The rushed, somber ceremony took place in the crowded main cabin of the famous presidential jet. U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes, the first woman to ever administer the presidential oath, was summoned to the tarmac to perform the duty. Johnson was flanked by his wife, Lady Bird (Review), and a stunned but composed Jacqueline Kennedy, who insisted on being present. With no Bible immediately available, Johnson placed his hand on a Catholic missal found on a side table in the president's cabin. The iconic photograph from that moment captures the grief, tension, and solemn responsibility of a nation's leadership changing in an instant.