Who became the first president of the United States at the April 30, 1789 inauguration?

George Washington became the first president of the United States at his inauguration 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 Livingston administered the presidential oath from the building’s second-floor balcony before a large crowd. Vice President John Adams and members of Congress attended the ceremony.

Washington had been elected unanimously by the Electoral College in the first presidential election under the Constitution. The federal government had officially been scheduled to begin operating on March 4, 1789, but Congress lacked a quorum until April because of travel difficulties. Washington’s inauguration therefore marked the practical start of the executive branch under the new constitutional system. He served two terms and was succeeded by John Adams in 1797.