George Washington took the first presidential oath of office on April 30, 1789.
The ceremony took place at Federal Hall in New York City, then the temporary national capital. Chancellor Robert Livingston of New York administered the oath on the building’s second-floor balcony before a large public crowd. Washington then delivered his inaugural address to Congress, helping launch the executive branch under the new Constitution.
Washington had been unanimously chosen by the Electoral College in the first presidential election. His term technically began on March 4, 1789, but the government’s preparations and travel delays postponed the public inauguration until April 30. John Adams had already assumed the vice presidency on April 21.
The event is sometimes confused with the March 4 start date for the first presidential term or with later inaugurations held in Washington, D.C. The capital had not yet moved to the Potomac site that would become the permanent national capital.