On April 30, 1789, George Washington took the oath of office and became the first US president under the new Constitution.  He was elected unanimously by the electoral college, and to this day remains the only president who has ever received 100% of the electoral votes.  John Adams was elected vice president; at that time, the vice president was the candidate who received the second-most number of votes.  The twelfth amendment changed this to the system we are familiar with today.

The first US Congress voted to pay Washington a salary of $25,000 per year - a large sum in 1789!

Washington created the custom of referring to the president as “Mr. President”.  He rejected all titles that emulated European royals, such as “Your Majesty” or “Your Highness”.

Washington’s Presidential Cabinet consisted of four men: the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of War, and Attorney General.  Today, the Cabinet consists of fifteen individuals: the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense (previously the Secretary of War), Attorney General, Secretary of the Interior, Secretary of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Energy, Secretary of Education, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Secretary of Homeland Security.