George Washington took the oath at the first U.S. presidential inauguration on April 30, 1789.
The ceremony took place on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, then the nation’s capital. Robert R. Livingston, the chancellor of New York, administered the presidential oath. Washington then delivered his first inaugural address to Congress.
The date came nearly two months after the first presidential term officially began on March 4, 1789. Congress could not immediately organize because travel difficulties delayed the arrival of enough members to form a quorum. The electoral votes were finally counted and certified in April, allowing Washington to assume the office formally.
Washington’s inauguration is connected to America250 because it represents the first operation of the executive branch under the Constitution adopted in 1787. It should not be confused with July 4, 1776, the date the Declaration of Independence was adopted, or with Washington’s second inauguration on March 4, 1793. The modern January 20 inauguration date did not begin until 1937.