Washington Elected First President: Unanimous, No Contest
Washington accepted a $25,000 annual salary only after Congress urged him to do so, ensuring the presidency remained open to citizens without independent wealth rather than becoming the exclusive domain of the ultra-rich. His careful selection of the title "Mr. President" and his refusal to seek a third term cemented republican traditions that prevented the office from sliding into European-style monarchy while establishing the two-term limit still respected today.
February 4, 1789
237 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on February 4
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Ludwig IV., das Kind wird in Forchheim zum König des Ostfrankenreichs gekrönt.
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Zhao Kuangyin's troops staged a mutiny and draped a yellow robe over him while he slept. That was the story anyway. He'd been a general for the six-year-old emp…
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