Who took office as the first president of the United States in 1789?

George Washington took office as the first president of the United States in 1789.

Washington was unanimously elected by the Electoral College in the nation’s first presidential election. He took the presidential oath on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City, then the national capital.

Before becoming president, Washington had commanded the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and presided over the Constitutional Convention. His public reputation made him the leading choice for the new executive office, although he had preferred retirement at Mount Vernon.

John Adams became the first vice president and later succeeded Washington. Thomas Jefferson served as Washington’s secretary of state, while James Madison helped shape the administration’s constitutional and legislative foundations.