Eleanor Finch
The 20th Amendment to the US Constitution states that Inauguration Day takes place on January 20th, or the 21st if the 20th falls on a Sunday, at noon. Inauguration Day marks the beginning of the term of each elected President of the United States, and the Vice President, who takes the oath of office first. The first Inauguration Day took place on April 30, 1789, when George Washington took the oath of office to become the country's first president.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 20th January (or 21st if the 20th falls on a Sunday) |
| Time | Noon |
| Location | U.S. Capitol building, Washington, D.C. |
| Frequency | Every four years |
| Next Occurrence | 20th January 2029 |
| Oath | "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." |
| Additional Notes | The vice president takes the oath first, and it is slightly longer. The tradition is to take the oath with the left hand on a Bible and to add "So help me God" at the end. |
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What You'll Learn
The 20th Amendment states Inauguration Day is January 20
The 20th Amendment to the US Constitution, also known as the "Date Changes for Presidency, Congress, and Succession" amendment, specifies that Inauguration Day takes place on January 20 of the year following a US presidential election. The amendment was proposed by Congress in March 1932 and ratified in 1933, with the 74th Congress first using the new date for inauguration on January 3, 1935.
The amendment was designed to address the long delay between elections and inaugurations, which had been set by Congress as March 4, 1789, and later became problematic as a long "lame duck" period. The 20th Amendment officially shortened this delay, with Inauguration Day set as January 20 unless that date falls on a Sunday, in which case it is held on January 21. The amendment also outlines that the terms of the President and Vice President end at noon on January 20, at which time the new president and vice president take the oaths required by the Constitution to assume office.
The first Inauguration Day took place on April 30, 1789, when George Washington took the oath of office to become the country's first president. Washington started the tradition of using a Bible during the swearing-in ceremony, as well as adding the phrase "So help me God" at the oath's end. Over time, Inauguration Day has evolved from an event primarily for congressional leaders to massive, public spectacles that aim to unify the country following a hard-fought election.
The 20th Amendment also addresses scenarios where there is no president-elect before Inauguration Day or where the president-elect becomes incapacitated. In such cases, the vice president-elect assumes the role of president until a new president is appointed by Congress or serves out the full four-year term, respectively. This provision was designed to prevent constitutional succession crises, such as those faced in the elections of 1800 and 1876.
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The President must take an oath of office
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
The Chief Justice usually administers the presidential inaugural oath on the Capitol's west front, with a few exceptions. For example, if a President has died and there is an urgent need for the new President to take office, the oath may be administered elsewhere.
The tradition followed by most presidents is to take the oath with their left hand on a Bible and their right hand raised. George Washington began this tradition in 1789, and he is also believed to have started the custom of adding "So help me God" at the end of the oath.
The 20th Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1933, specifies that the term of each elected President begins at noon on January 20 of the year following the election. Inauguration Day occurs every four years on this date, or on January 21 if the 20th falls on a Sunday. The first Inauguration Day took place on April 30, 1789, when George Washington took the oath of office to become the country's first president.
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The Vice President takes a different oath first
According to the 20th Amendment to the US Constitution, Inauguration Day takes place on January 20 of the year following the election. The President-elect must take the oath of office before assuming the duties of the position. The Vice President-elect takes a different oath before the President-elect. This oath is the same as that taken by senators, representatives, and other federal employees.
The oath of office for the Vice President is:
> "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God."
The Vice President's oath is administered immediately before the President's. The Vice President's oath may be administered by the outgoing Vice President, a member of Congress, or another government official, such as a justice of the Supreme Court. The location of the Vice President's oath-taking ceremony has changed over time. Until 1937, most Vice Presidents took the oath in the Senate chamber. Since then, the ceremony has been held on an inaugural platform outside the Capitol building.
The Vice President's oath has been administered by a variety of officials over the years. The president pro tempore of the Senate administered the oath to the first three Vice Presidents and to many Vice Presidents from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century. Some Vice Presidents took the oath from the Chief Justice, while others took it from the outgoing Vice President. Since World War II, Vice Presidents have chosen friends and associates to administer the oath.
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The inaugural address follows the oaths
The 20th Amendment to the US Constitution specifies that each US President's term begins at noon on January 20 of the year following the election. Inauguration Day occurs every four years, on January 20, or January 21 if the 20th falls on a Sunday. The inauguration ceremony takes place at the US Capitol building in Washington, DC.
The vice-president-elect is sworn in first, repeating the same oath of office used since 1884. Then, around noon, the president-elect recites the presidential oath in accordance with Article II, Section I of the US Constitution.
The Inaugural Address Follows the Oath
After the oaths are taken, the president delivers the inaugural address. George Washington established the tradition of the inaugural address on April 30, 1789. After taking the presidential oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City, he gave a speech inside the Senate chamber before members of Congress and invited dignitaries. Approximately one hundred people heard Washington speak.
Communication scholars Karlyn Kohrs Campbell and Kathleen Hall Jamieson argue that the inaugural address is a distinct rhetorical genre. They identify five key elements that establish the inaugural address as its own classification of presidential speech. Throughout American history, inaugural addresses typically contain certain arguments or attributes.
The inaugural address is an opportunity for the new president to outline their vision for the country and their plans for the presidency. For example, John F. Kennedy's inaugural address included the famous sentence: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." Kennedy's call for public service was one of the few lines in his speech focused on domestic policy. Most of his speech focused on foreign policy and the Cold War.
The mode of dissemination of inaugural addresses has changed over time. For example, Warren Harding's address in 1921 was the first to be projected by an electronic amplification system. In 1925, Calvin Coolidge's address was the first to be broadcast on the radio, and in 1949, Harry Truman's address was the first to be televised. In 1981, Ronald Reagan became the first president to take the oath of office and give his inaugural address on the West Front of the Capitol, facilitating a larger in-person audience. In 1997, Bill Clinton gave the first inaugural address broadcast live through the internet.
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Inauguration Day was previously in March
The first Inauguration Day took place at Federal Hall in New York City—the nation's capital at the time—on April 30, 1789. On that day, George Washington took the oath of office to become the country's first president.
Following the ratification of the new Constitution, Congress set March 4, 1789, as the day the new US government would begin its operations. Subsequently, Congress selected a date for federal elections, choosing a timeframe from November to early December in 1792. Later, in 1845, a single, uniform election day was chosen in early November.
The four-month delay between the November elections and the March inauguration period was problematic. The delay meant that newly elected leaders couldn't take action during times of crisis. For instance, both Abraham Lincoln, elected in 1860, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, elected in 1932, faced significant national crises—the American Civil War and the Great Depression, respectively—but were legally prohibited from intervening for four months after their elections.
In March 1932, Congress proposed the Twentieth Amendment to revise the timing for political inaugurations, along with other political revisions. The Twentieth Amendment was ratified in January 1933, officially making January 20 Inauguration Day in the Constitution. This amendment shortened the "lame-duck" period between the election and inauguration, allowing the president-elect to take office sooner.
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Frequently asked questions
Inauguration Day is on the 20th of January every four years (or the 21st if the 20th falls on a Sunday). The Constitution's 20th Amendment specifies that the term of each elected President of the United States begins at noon on this day.
The date of Inauguration Day has changed over time. The first Inauguration Day took place on April 30, 1789, when George Washington took the oath of office. Later, Congress set March 4, 1789, as Inauguration Day, but this was changed in 1933 to shorten the "lame duck" period between the election and inauguration.
Inauguration Day involves the swearing-in ceremony, the inaugural address, and the pass in review. The vice president-elect takes the oath of office first, followed by the president-elect at noon. The oath involves reciting the words: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States".
