For America's 250th anniversary, who became the first president of the United States?

George Washington became the first president of the United States in 1789.

The Electoral College elected Washington unanimously in the nation's first presidential election. He took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City, then the national capital.

Washington had previously commanded the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and had presided over the Constitutional Convention. His reputation for military leadership and public service made him a broadly acceptable choice for the new executive office.

He served two terms, from 1789 to 1797, and voluntarily retired rather than seek a third. John Adams, his vice president, succeeded him. Washington's decision helped establish the two-term tradition later formalized by the Twenty-Second Amendment.