George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president on April 30, 1789, a founding event remembered during America250.
The ceremony took place at Federal Hall in New York City, then the nation’s capital. Chancellor of New York Robert Livingston administered the presidential oath on a second-floor balcony before a large public crowd. Washington then delivered his first inaugural address to Congress.
The federal government was scheduled to begin operating on March 4, 1789, but travel difficulties and the absence of a congressional quorum delayed the proceedings. Congress finally certified the election results in April, allowing Washington and Vice President John Adams to take office.
Washington had been elected unanimously by the Electoral College in the first presidential election. His inauguration established precedents for the new executive branch, although many later inauguration customs—including the January 20 date—developed long afterward.