George Washington was unanimously elected president in the United States’ first presidential election, held from December 1788 to January 1789.
The election used the system established by the Constitution, in which each elector cast two votes for president. Washington received all 69 electoral votes. John Adams finished second and therefore became vice president.
Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City. His inauguration began the new federal government under the Constitution.
A common mix-up is calling Washington’s election a modern popular vote. The presidency was decided by electors, and most states did not yet use a nationwide popular vote system. Washington remains the only U.S. president elected unanimously by the Electoral College.