Remembering: The 20th Amendment

FDR's inauguration 1937

On January 23, 1933, Congress ratified the 20th Amendment.

It set several different things, but the one that has been the most notable was it's changing of the President's inauguration date.

Before then inaugurations had always taken place on March 4.

However, the 20th Amendment moved that date forward to January 20.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt became the first President to be inaugurated on that date, at the beginning of his second term, in 1937.

The 20th Amendment also set the inaugurations of Congressmen to January 3.

It also set up plans for what to do, should the President elect or Vice President elect die before being sworn in.