US Constitution Timeline 1788 Having been ratified by nine of the thirteen states, the Constitution is officially established. 1788.06.21 The first quadrennial presidential electionunder the new Constitution is held. 1788.12.15 1789 1st United States Congress convenes 1789.03.04 House of Representatives reconvenes 1789.04.01 Electoral votes counted 1789.04.06 Senate reconvenes 1789.04.06 John Adams assumes vice presidential duties 1789.04.21 Inauguration Day 1789.04.30 First Inauguration of George Washington 1789.04.30 Constitutional Amendments Proposed By Congress 1789.09.25 1st Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 2nd Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 3rd Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 4th Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 5th Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 6th Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 7th Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 8th Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 9th Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 10th Amendment submitted for ratification 1789.09.25 Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay confirmed by the Senate 1789.09.26 Supreme Court Justice John Rutledge confirmed by the Senate 1789.09.26 Supreme Court Justice William Cushing confirmed by the Senate 1789.09.26 Supreme Court Justice James Wilson confirmed by the Senate 1789.09.26 Supreme Court Justice John Blair, Jr. confirmed by the Senate 1789.09.26 1790 Supreme Court convenes 1790.02.02 Supreme Court Justice James Iredell confirmed by the Senate 1790.02.10 1791 Supreme Court Justice Thomas Johnson confirmed by the Senate 1791.11.07 Ratification of 1st Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 2nd Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 3rd Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 4th Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 5th Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 6th Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 7th Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 8th Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 9th Amendment completed 1791.12.15 Ratification of 10th Amendment completed 1791.12.15 1793 Second Inauguration of George Washington 1793.03.04 Supreme Court Justice William Paterson confirmed by the Senate 1793.03.04 1794 11th Amendment submitted for ratification 1794.03.04 1795 Ratification of 11th Amendment completed 1795.02.07 1796 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Chase confirmed by the Senate 1796.01.27 Supreme Court Chief Justice Oliver Ellsworth confirmed by the Senate 1796.03.04 1797 Inauguration of John Adams 1797.03.04 1798 Supreme Court Justice Bushrod Washington confirmed by the Senate 1798.12.20 1799 Supreme Court Justice Alfred Moore confirmed by the Senate 1799.12.10 1801 Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall confirmed by the Senate 1801.01.27 First Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson 1801.03.04 1803 12th Amendment submitted for ratification 1803.12.09 1804 Supreme Court Justice William Johnson confirmed by the Senate 1804.03.24 Ratification of 12th Amendment completed 1804.06.15 1805 Second Inauguration of Thomas Jefferson 1805.03.04 1806 Supreme Court Justice Henry B. Livingston confirmed by the Senate 1806.12.17 1807 Supreme Court Justice Thomas Todd confirmed by the Senate 1807.03.02 1809 First Inauguration of James Madison 1809.03.04 1811 Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story confirmed by the Senate 1811.11.18 Supreme Court Justice Gabriel Duvall confirmed by the Senate 1811.11.18 1813 Second Inauguration of James Madison 1813.03.04 1817 First Inauguration of James Monroe 1817.03.04 1821 Second Inauguration of James Monroe 1821.03.05 1823 Supreme Court Justice Smith Thompson confirmed by the Senate 1823.12.09 1825 Inauguration of John Quincy Adams 1825.03.04 1826 Supreme Court Justice Robert Trimble confirmed by the Senate 1826.05.09 1829 First Inauguration of Andrew Jackson 1829.03.04 Supreme Court Justice John McLean confirmed by the Senate 1829.03.07 1830 Supreme Court Justice Henry Baldwin confirmed by the Senate 1830.01.06 1833 Second Inauguration of Andrew Jackson 1833.03.04 1835 Supreme Court Justice James Moore Wayne confirmed by the Senate 1835.01.09 1836 Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney confirmed by the Senate 1836.03.15 Supreme Court Justice Philip P. Barbour confirmed by the Senate 1836.03.15 1837 Inauguration of Martin Van Buren 1837.03.04 Supreme Court Justice John Catron confirmed by the Senate 1837.03.08 Supreme Court Justice John McKinley confirmed by the Senate 1837.09.25 1841 Supreme Court Justice Peter Vivian Daniel confirmed by the Senate 1841.03.02 Inauguration of William Henry Harrison 1841.03.04 Inauguration of John Tyler 1841.04.06 1845 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Nelson confirmed by the Senate 1845.02.14 Inauguration of James Knox Polk 1845.03.04 1846 Supreme Court Justice Levi Woodbury confirmed by the Senate 1846.01.31 Supreme Court Justice Robert Cooper Grier confirmed by the Senate 1846.08.04 1849 Inauguration of Zachary Taylor 1849.03.05 1850 Inauguration of Milliard Fillmore 1850.07.10 1851 Supreme Court Justice Benjamin R. Curtis confirmed by the Senate 1851.12.20 1853 Inauguration of Franklin Pierce 1853.03.04 Supreme Court Justice John A. Campbell confirmed by the Senate 1853.03.22 1857 Inauguration of James Buchanan 1857.03.04 1858 Supreme Court Justice Nathan Clifford confirmed by the Senate 1858.01.12 1861 First Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln 1861.03.04 1862 Supreme Court Justice Noah Haynes Swayne confirmed by the Senate 1862.01.24 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Freeman Miller confirmed by the Senate 1862.07.16 Supreme Court Justice David Davis confirmed by Senate 1862.12.08 1863 Supreme Court Justice Stephen Johnson Field confirmed by the Senate 1863.03.10 1864 Supreme Court Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase confirmed by the Senate 1864.12.06 1865 13th Amendment submitted for ratification 1865.01.31 Second Inauguration of Abraham Lincoln 1865.03.04 Inauguration of Andrew Johnson 1865.04.15 Ratification of 13th Amendment completed 1865.12.06 1866 14th Amendment submitted for ratification 1866.06.13 Ratification of 14th Amendment completed 1866.07.09 1869 15th Amendment submitted for ratification 1869.02.26 First Inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant 1869.03.04 Supreme Court Justice Edwin M. Stanton confirmed by Senate 1869.12.20 1870 Ratification of 15th Amendment completed 1870.02.03 Supreme Court Justice William Strong confirmed by the Senate 1870.02.18 Supreme Court Justice Joseph P. Bradley confirmed by the Senate 1870.03.21 1872 Supreme Court Justice Ward Hunt confirmed by the Senate 1872.12.11 1873 Second Inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant 1873.03.04 1874 Supreme Court Chief Justice Morrison Waite confirmed by the Senate 1874.01.21 1877 Inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes 1877.03.05 Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan confirmed by the Senate 1877.11.29 1880 Supreme Court Justice William Burnham Woods confirmed by the Senate 1880.12.21 1881 Inauguration of James A. Garfield 1881.03.04 Supreme Court Justice Stanley Matthews confirmed by the Senate 1881.05.12 Inauguration of Chester Arthur 1881.09.20 Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray confirmed by the Senate 1881.12.20 1882 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Blatchford confirmed by the Senate 1882.03.22 1885 First Inauguration of Grover Cleveland 1885.03.04 1888 Supreme Court Justice Lucius Q.C. Lamar confirmed by Senate 1888.01.16 Supreme Court Justice Melville Fuller confirmed by Senate 1888.07.20 1889 Inauguration of Benjamin Harrison 1889.03.04 Supreme Court Justice David Josian Brewer confirmed by Senate 1889.12.18 1890 Supreme Court Justice Henry Billings Brown confirmed by Senate 1890.12.29 1892 Supreme Court Justice George Shiras Jr. confirmed by Senate 1892.07.26 1893 Supreme Court Justice Howell E. Jackson confirmed by Senate 1893.02.18 Second Inauguration of Grover Cleveland 1893.03.04 1894 Supreme Court Justice Edward D. White confirmed by Senate 1894.02.19 1895 Supreme Court Justice Rufus W. Peckham confirmed by Senate 1895.12.09 1897 First Inauguration of William McKinley 1897.03.04 1898 Supreme Court Justice Joseph McKenna confirmed by Senate 1898.01.21confirmed by Senate 1901 Second Inauguration of William McKinley 1901.03.04 First Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt 1901.09.14 1902 Supreme Court Justice Oliver W. Holmes Jr. confirmed by Senate 1902.12.04 1903 Supreme Court Justice William R. Day confirmed by Senate 1903.02.23 1905 Second Inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt 1905.03.04 1906 Supreme Court Justice William Henry Moody confirmed by Senate 1906.12.12 1909 Inauguration of William Howard Taft 1909.03.04 16th Amendment submitted for ratification 1909.07.12 Supreme Court Justice Horace Harmon Lurton confirmed by Senate 1909.12.20 1910 Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes confirmed by Senate 1910.05.02 Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward D. White confirmed by Senate 1910.12.12 Supreme Court Justice Willis Van Devanter confirmed by Senate 1910.12.15 Supreme Court Justice Joseph Rucker Lamar confirmed by Senate 1910.12.15 1912 Supreme Court Justice Mahlon Pitney confirmed by Senate 1912.03.13 17th Amendment submitted for ratification 1912.05.13 1913 Ratification of 16th Amendment completed 1913.02.03 First Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson 1913.03.04 Ratification of 17th Amendment completed 1913.04.08 1914 Supreme Court Justice James C. McReynolds confirmed by Senate 1914.08.29 1916 Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis confirmed by Senate 1916.06.01 Supreme Court Justice John Hessin Clarke confirmed by Senate 1916.07.24 1917 Second Inauguration of Woodrow Wilson 1917.03.05 18th Amendment submitted for ratification 1917.12.18 1919 Ratification of 18th Amendment completed 1919.01.16 19th Amendment submitted for ratification 1919.06.04 1920 Ratification of 19th Amendment completed 1920.08.18 1921 Inauguration of Warren G. Harding 1921.03.04 Supreme Court Chief Justice William Howard Taft confirmed by Senate 1921.06.30 1922 Supreme Court Justice George Sutherland confirmed by Senate 1922.09.05 Supreme Court Justice Pierce Butler confirmed by Senate 1922.12.21 1923 Supreme Court Justice Edward Terry Sanford confirmed by Senate 1923.01.29 First Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge 1923.08.03 1925 Supreme Court Justice Harlan F. Stone confirmed by Senate 1925.02.05 Second Inauguration of Calvin Coolidge 1925.03.04 1929 Inauguration of Herbert Hoover 1929.03.04 1930 Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes confirmed by Senate 1930.02.13 Supreme Court Justice Owen Roberts confirmed by Senate 1930.05.20 1932 Supreme Court Justice Benjamin N. Cardozo confirmed by Senate 1932.02.24 20th Amendment submitted for ratification 1932.03.02 1933 Ratification of 20th Amendment completed 1933.01.23 21st Amendment submitted for ratification 1933.02.20 First Inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1933.03.04 Ratification of 21st Amendment completed 1933.12.05 1937 Second Inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1937.01.20 Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black confirmed by Senate 1937.08.17 1938 Supreme Court Justice Stanley Forman Reed confirmed by Senate 1938.01.25 1939 Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter confirmed by Senate 1939.01.17 Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas confirmed by Senate 1939.04.04 1940 Supreme Court Justice Frank Murphy confirmed by Senate 1940.01.16 1941 Third Inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1941.01.20 Supreme Court Justice James F. Byrnes confirmed by Senate 1941.06.12 Supreme Court Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone confirmed by Senate 1941.06.27 Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson confirmed by Senate 1941.07.07 1943 Supreme Court Justice Wiley Blount Rutledge confirmed by Senate 1943.02.08 1945 Fourth Inauguration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt 1945.01.20 First Inauguration of Harry S. Truman 1945.04.12 Supreme Court Justice Harold Hitz Burton confirmed by Senate 1945.09.19 1946 Supreme Court Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson confirmed by Senate 1946.06.20 1947 22nd Amendment submitted for ratification 1947.03.24 1949 Second Inauguration of Harry S. Truman 1949.01.20 Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark confirmed by Senate 1949.09.18 Supreme Court Justice Sherman Minton confirmed by Senate 1949.10.04 1951 Ratification of 22nd Amendment completed 1951.02.27 1953 First Inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower 1953.01.20 1954 Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren confirmed by Senate 1954.03.01 1955 Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan II confirmed by Senate 1955.03.16 1957 Second Inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower 1957.01.21 Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan Jr. confirmed by Senate 1957.03.19 Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Whittaker confirmed by Senate 1957.03.19 1959 Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart confirmed by Senate 1959.05.05 1960 23rd Amendment submitted for ratification 1960.06.16 1961 Inauguration of John F. Kennedy 1961.01.20 Ratification of 23rd Amendment completed 1961.03.29 1962 Supreme Court Justice Byron White confirmed by Senate 1962.04.11 24th Amendment submitted for ratification 1962.09.14 Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg confirmed by Senate 1962.09.25 1963 First Inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson 1963.11.22 1964 Ratification of 24th Amendment completed 1964.01.23 1965 Second Inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson 1965.01.20 25th Amendment submitted for ratification 1965.07.06 Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas confirmed by Senate 1965.08.11 Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas confirmed by Senate 1965.11.08 1967 Ratification of 25th Amendment completed 1967.02.10 Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall confirmed by Senate 1967.08.30 1969 First Inauguration of Richard M. Nixon 1969.01.20 Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren E. Burger confirmed by Senate 1969.06.09 1970 Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun confirmed by Senate 1970.05.12 1971 26th Amendment submitted for ratification 1971.03.23 Ratification of 26th Amendment completed 1971.07.01 Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. confirmed by Senate 1971.12.06 Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist confirmed by Senate 1971.12.10 1973 Second Inauguration of Richard M. Nixon 1973.01.20 1974 Inauguration of Gerald R. Ford 1974.08.09 1975 Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens confirmed by Senate 1975.12.17 1977 Inauguration of Jimmy Carter 1977.01.20 1981 First Inauguration of Ronald Reagan 1981.01.20 Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor confirmed by Senate 1981.09.21 1985 Second Inauguration of Ronald Reagan 1985.01.21 1986 Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia confirmed by Senate 1986.09.17 1988 Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy confirmed by Senate 1988.02.03 1989 Inauguration of George Bush 1989.01.20 1990 Supreme Court Justice David Souter confirmed by Senate 1990.10.02 1991 Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas confirmed by Senate 1991.10.15 1992 Ratification of 27th Amendment completed 1992.05.05 1993 First Inauguration of William J. Clinton 1993.01.20 Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg confirmed by Senate 1993.08.03 1994 Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer confirmed by Senate 1994.07.29 1997 Second Inauguration of William J. Clinton 1997.01.20 2001 First Inauguration of George W. Bush 2001.01.20 2005 Second Inauguration of George W. Bush 2005.01.20 Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed by Senate 2005.09.29 2006 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito confirmed by Senate 2006.01.31 2009 First Inauguration of Barrack Obama 2009.01.20 Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor confirmed by Senate 2009.08.06 2010 Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan confirmed by Senate 2010.08.05 2013 Second Inauguration of Barrack Obama 2013.01.21 2017 Inauguration of Donald Trump 2017.01.20
