Presidential Term-inology
Trivia and interesting details about the 59 U.S. presidential terms
If asked about President Joe Biden’s position in the ongoing sequence of U.S. chief executives, a sizeable number of respondents would be able to identify him as the 46th president. However, it’s probably a safe bet to assume that fewer people would be aware of the fact that Biden is serving in the 59th presidential term.
A presidential term is defined as the four-year period beginning with the inauguration of the most recent presidential election winner. Since 1937, that swearing-in date has been Jan. 20 of the year immediately following the November general election.
As is often the case in many walks of life, however, there are exceptions and factual quirks.
Take George Washington, for example. His first full term did not last four years. Washington first took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, and he began his second term on March 4, 1793. John Adams, the second U.S. president, began the third presidential term on March 4, 1797.
March 4 remained the date for the start of a new presidential term until Jan. 20, 1937, when Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in for his second term. The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified Jan. 23, 1933, moved the start of a president’s term…
