George Washington took the oath at the first U.S. presidential inauguration under the Constitution.
The ceremony took place on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. Washington had been unanimously chosen by the Electoral College as the nation’s first president, while John Adams became vice president.
Robert R. Livingston, the chancellor of New York, administered the presidential oath. Afterward, Washington and members of Congress attended a service at St. Paul’s Chapel. The inauguration marked the practical beginning of the executive branch created by the Constitution.
A common mix-up concerns the date: Washington’s first presidential term officially began on March 4, 1789, but logistical delays prevented the inauguration until April 30. Federal Hall later became a landmark associated with the birth of the new federal government.