January 20th: The Date of Presidential Inaugurations “`

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Supporters And Protesters Turn Out For The Inauguration Of President-Elect Donald Trump

Donald Trump’s swearing-in as President will occur on Monday, January 20th.

Inauguration Day, held every four years at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., falls on January 20th. If January 20th is a Sunday, the oath of office is administered privately that day, with the public inauguration following on January 21st, according to Shannon Bow O’Brien, an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin. The day’s events include the swearing-in ceremony, the inaugural address, and the inaugural luncheon.

For Trump’s inauguration, various musical artists will perform, including Grammy-winning country singer Carrie Underwood, who is scheduled to sing “America the Beautiful.”

However, Inauguration Day wasn’t always in January. Initially, Congress designated March 4, 1789, as the commencement date for the new government. Severe winter weather delayed George Washington’s inauguration until April 30, 1789, in New York City (then the nation’s capital), O’Brien explains. For over a century, subsequent Presidents and Vice Presidents were typically sworn in on March 4th.

The extended period between Election Day and Inauguration Day partly stemmed from the time needed to count votes and the slower travel due to poor road conditions, according to History.com and O’Brien. This lengthy gap sometimes created difficulties between outgoing and incoming administrations.

“We have a period with two Presidents effectively functioning concurrently,” O’Brien notes. “Currently, Donald Trump remains a private citizen until Monday, yet he’s treated almost like the President, while Joe Biden is largely taking a backseat. We essentially have two Presidents, a situation that previously lasted about four months.”

This was a key reason for changing Inauguration Day. Technological advancements accelerated vote counting, and improved travel and road conditions contributed to the change, according to History.com and O’Brien. Consequently, the 20th Amendment was ratified in 1933, shifting Inauguration Day to January 20th and the first session of Congress to January 3rd. This new tradition began four years later, in 1937.