Who was the first president? Here's what to know about the first president in US history.
To qualify for presidency in the United States, there are three requirements, according to the Constitution:
- Must be at least 35 years old
- Be a natural born citizen of the U.S.
- Must have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years
There have been 46 presidents throughout U.S. history. With nearly 250 years of history, it can be easy to forget who held office and when. So, here is rundown on the first president, the current and all those in-between.
What are the three branches of government?Executive, Judicial, Legislative wings explained.
Who was the first president?
George Washington was the first president of the United States, taking his oath of office on April 30, 1789, according to the White House. Prior to his presidency, Washington was the Commander in Chief of the Continental Army.
Washington retired after two terms, setting a precedent for future presidents. He held the role from 1789 to 1797.
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When did George Washington die?
After his retirement, Washington spent his time at Mount Vernon until he died of a throat infection on Dec. 14, 1799, says the White House.
Washington was 67 years old when he died.
How many presidents were there before Washington?
While Washington is recognized as the first president of our nation, there were several "presidents" before him.
During the Continental Congresses and Confederation Congress, a "president" was elected by the delegates to oversee the legislative session, according to the U.S. House of Representatives. This official had many responsibilities including "ruling on parliamentary issues, managing official correspondence, advancing or holding back legislation," among others.
These are the presidents of the Continental Congresses and Confederation Congress and their term lengths:
- Peyton Randolph: Sep. 5 – Oct. 22, 1774
- Henry Middleton: Oct. 22 – Oct. 26, 1774
- Peyton Randolph: May 10 – May 24, 1775
- John Hancock: May 24, 1775 – Oct. 31, 1777
- Henry Laurens: Nov. 1, 1777 – Dec. 9, 1778
- John Jay: Dec. 10, 1778 – Sep. 27, 1779
- Samuel Huntington: Sep. 28, 1779 – Mar. 1, 1781
- Samuel Huntington: Mar. 2 – July 6, 1781
- Thomas McKean: July 10 – Oct. 23, 1781
- John Hanson: Nov. 5, 1781 – Nov. 3, 1782
- Elias Boudinot: Nov. 4, 1782–Nov. 3, 1783
- Thomas Mifflin: Nov. 3, 1783 – Nov. 30, 1784
- Richard Henry Lee: Nov. 30, 1784 – Nov. 4, 1785
- John Hancock: Nov. 23, 1785 – June 5, 1786
- Nathaniel Gorham: June 6, 1786 – Feb. 2, 1787
- Arthur St. Clair: Feb. 2 – Oct. 5, 1787
- Cyrus Griffin: Jan. 22, 1788 – Mar. 2, 1789
How old do you have to be to be president?What running for the highest office requires.
Who is the president of the United States?
The 46th president of the United States is Joe Biden. Biden previously represented Delaware for 36 years in the Senate, later becoming the 47th vice president of the U.S. under former President Barrack Obama.
Biden assumed office on Jan. 20, 2021 with Kamala Harris as his vice president, making Harris the first female vice president in U.S. history, as well as the first Black American and first Asian American vice president.
Presidents of the United States, in order
Here are all the presidents in U.S. history in order from first to current:
- George Washington
- John Adams
- Thomas Jefferson
- James Madison
- James Monroe
- John Quincy Adams
- Andrew Jackson
- Martin Van Buren
- William Henry Harrison
- John Tyler
- James K. Polk
- Zachary Taylor
- Millard Fillmore
- Franklin Pierce
- James Buchanan
- Abraham Lincoln
- Andrew Johnson
- Ulysses S. Grant
- Rutherford B. Hayes
- James Garfield
- Chester A. Arthur
- Grover Cleveland
- Benjamin Harrison
- Grover Cleveland
- William McKinley
- Theodore Roosevelt
- William Howard Taft
- Woodrow Wilson
- Warren G. Harding
- Calvin Coolidge
- Herbert Hoover
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Harry S. Truman
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- John F. Kennedy
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Richard M. Nixon
- Gerald R. Ford
- Jimmy Carter
- Ronald Reagan
- George H. W. Bush
- Bill Clinton
- George W. Bush
- Barack Obama
- Donald Trump
- Joe Biden
One-term presidents:Trump joins the list of presidents denied a second term