Washington Delivers First Address to Congress
George Washington delivered the first regular annual message before a joint session of Congress in New York City on January 8, 1790. Thomas Jefferson later abandoned this personal appearance in 1801, fearing it resembled monarchical Speech from the Throne, and the address remained written until Woodrow Wilson revived the tradition in 1913. Franklin D. Roosevelt coined the term "State of the Union" in 1934, establishing its modern identity after the 20th Amendment shifted Congress's opening to January.
January 8, 1790
236 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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