Roosevelt, January 20, 1937. The American Presidency Project. Congress had originally established March 4 as Inauguration Day. The date was moved to January 20 with the passage of the Twentieth Amendment in 1933.

Why did Inauguration Day Change from March 4?

Although Congress scheduled the first inauguration for March 4, 1789, they were unable to count the electoral ballots as early as anticipated. Consequently, the first inauguration was postponed to allow the president-elect time to make the long trip from his home in Virginia to the nation's capital in New York City.

When did inauguration date change to January?

When it did, the public inauguration ceremony would take place on Monday, March 5. This happened on four occasions, in 1821, 1849, 1877, and 1917. Inauguration Day moved to January 20, beginning in 1937, following ratification of the Twentieth Amendment to the Constitution, where it has remained since.