On what date was George Washington inaugurated as the first U.S. president?

George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president on April 30, 1789.

The ceremony took place at Federal Hall in New York City, then the nation’s capital. Chancellor of New York Robert R. Livingston administered the presidential oath on the building’s second-floor balcony while crowds gathered outside.

Washington had been elected unanimously by the Electoral College in the first presidential election under the Constitution. Congress had begun operating in March, but travel and administrative preparations delayed the inauguration until the end of April.

The event established traditions that later inaugurations expanded, including a public oath ceremony and an address by the new president. It should not be confused with the March 4 inauguration date used for many later presidential terms, or with the January 20 date adopted for regular inaugurations beginning in 1937.