George Washington became the first president of the United States, a milestone remembered in America's 250th-anniversary history.
Washington was unanimously elected by the Electoral College in 1789 after leading the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His election established the presidency under the new Constitution and set an important precedent for the office.
He took the presidential oath in New York City on April 30, 1789. John Adams became the first vice president, while the first Congress began creating the institutions of the new federal government.
Washington served two four-year terms, from 1789 to 1797. His decision to retire after two terms influenced the informal two-term tradition later associated with the presidency, although the Twenty-Second Amendment did not limit presidents to two terms until 1951.