George Washington’s first inauguration took place on April 30, 1789. He took the presidential oath at Federal Hall in New York City, then the nation’s capital, formally beginning the executive branch under the new Constitution.
The ceremony occurred nearly two months after the constitutional government’s scheduled start date of March 4. Congress initially faced logistical delays and lacked a quorum to certify the Electoral College results. Washington was finally notified of his election in April and traveled from Mount Vernon to New York.
New York Chancellor Robert R. Livingston administered the oath from Federal Hall’s second-floor balcony. Vice President John Adams had already assumed his Senate duties on April 21. Afterward, Washington and members of Congress attended a service at St. Paul’s Chapel.
The date is sometimes confused with March 4, 1789, which marked the beginning of the first presidential term on paper. The actual inauguration ceremony occurred on April 30, making it a key milestone in the nation’s early constitutional history.