George Washington took the presidential oath on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City.
Washington had been elected the first president under the new Constitution, but travel and administrative delays postponed the ceremony. Robert R. Livingston, chancellor of New York, administered the oath on a balcony overlooking Broad Street. Vice President John Adams and members of Congress attended the event.
The date is sometimes confused with March 4, 1789, which marked the beginning of the first presidential term under the timetable then in force. Congress lacked a quorum on that day, so the executive branch did not begin operating fully until later. Washington’s inauguration established the first presidential administration under the Constitution and made New York City the nation’s temporary capital.