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 election under 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: 1898.01.21
confirmed 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

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