George Washington’s first inauguration was held on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City.
The ceremony marked the formal beginning of the executive branch under the new U.S. Constitution. Washington traveled from Mount Vernon to New York after Congress certified the Electoral College results from the first presidential election.
New York City was then the temporary national capital. Chancellor Robert R. Livingston of New York administered the presidential oath from Federal Hall’s balcony before a large public crowd. Washington then delivered his first inaugural address inside the Senate chamber.
This date is sometimes confused with March 4, 1789, when the first presidential term officially began on paper. Congress had selected March 4 as the start of the new government, but logistical delays prevented Washington from taking the oath until April 30. Regular inaugurations later moved to January 20 under the Twentieth Amendment, beginning in 1937.