| January 21 | 1st American novel, WH Brown's "Power of Sympathy," is published |
| January 23 | Georgetown, 1st U.S. Catholic college, founded |
| January 26 | John Odell signs contract for 336 pounds to build St. Peter's church (Bronx) |
| February 1 | Chinese troops driven out of Vietnam capital Thang Long |
| February 4 | 1st electoral college chooses Washington and Adams as President and Vice President |
| March 2 | Pennsylvania ends prohibition of theatrical performances |
| March 4 | 1st Congress declares constitution in effect (9 senators, 13 reps) |
| March 10 | Franklin College founded |
| March 11 | Benjamin Banneker with L'Enfant begin to lay out Washington D.C. |
| March 12 | U.S. Post Office established |
| April 1 | House of Representatives 1st full meeting, New York City, F Muhlenberg 1st speaker |
| April 6 | 1st U.S. Congress begins regular sessions, Federal Hall, New York City |
| April 8 | House of Representives 1st meeting |
| April 16 | George Washington heads for 1st presidential inauguration |
| April 21 | John Adams sworn in as 1st U.S. Vice President (9 days before Washington) |
| April 23 | President-elect George Washington moves into Franklin House, New York |
| April 28 | Fletcher Christian leads Mutiny on HMS Bounty and Captain William Bligh |
| April 30 | George Washington inaugurated as 1st president of the United States |
| May 5 | French States-General for It first since 1614 together |
| May 7 | 1st inaugurational ball (for George Washington in New York City) |
| May 12 | Society of St. Tammany is formed by Revolutionary War soldiers. It later becomes an infamous group of New York City political bosses |
| June 1 | 1st U.S. congressional act becomes law (on administering oaths) |
| June 3 | Alex Mackenzie explores Mackenzie River (Canada) |
| June 4 | U.S. constitution goes into effect |
| June 9 | Spanish capture British schooner Northwest America near Vancouver I |
| June 13 | Mrs. Alexander Hamilton serves ice cream for dessert to Washington |
| June 14 | Captain William Blighs reaches Timor |
| June 17 | 3rd Estate in France declared itself a national assembly |
| June 20 | Oath of Tennis Court (for a new constitution) in France taken |
| July 4 | 1st U.S. tariff act |
| July 11 | U.S. Marine Corps created by an act of Congress |
| July 14 | Bastille Day-French Revolution begins with the fall of Bastille |
| July 27 | Congress establishes Department of Foreign Affairs, State Department |
| August 1 | U.S. Customs begins enforcing Tariff Act |
| August 4 | French National Meeting ending feudal system |
| August 7 | Congress creates Department of War and Lighthouse Service |
| August 27 | French National Assembly issues "Decl of Rights of Man and Citizen" |
| August 28 | Sir William Herschel discovers Saturn's moon Enceladus |
| September 2 | U.S. Treasury Department established by Congress |
| September 11 | Alexander Hamilton appointed 1st Secretary of Treasury |
| September 13 | 1st loan to U.S. Government (from New York City banks) |
| September 15 | Department of Foreign Affairs, renamed Department of State |
| September 17 | William Herschel discovers Mimas, satellite of Saturn |
| September 18 | 1st loan is made to pay salaries of the presidents and Congress |
| September 22 | Office of Postmaster General is created under the Treasury Department |
| September 24 | Congress creates Post Office |
| September 24 | Federal Judiciary Act is passed and creates a six-person Supreme Court |
| September 24 | President George Washington appointed John Jay the 1st Chief Justice |
| September 24 | U.S. Attorney General Office is created |
| September 25 | Congress proposes Bill of Rights (10 of 12 will ratify) |
| September 26 | Jefferson appointed 1st Secretary of State; John Jay 1st chief justice; |
| September 29 | 1st congress adjourns |
| September 29 | U.S. War Department established a regular army |
| October 3 | Washington proclaims 1st national Thanksgiving Day |
| October 15 | 1st presidental tour - George Washington in New England |
| November 5 | Fleeing slaves under Bonni attack military post on Suriname |
| November 5 | French National Meeting declares all citizens equal under law |
| November 8 | Bourbon Whiskey, 1st distilled from corn by Elijah Craig, Bourbon, Kentucky |
| November 13 | Ben Franklin writes "Nothing . . . certain but death and taxes" |
| November 20 | New Jersey is 1st state to ratify Bill of Rights |
| November 21 | North Carolina ratifies constitution, becomes 12th U.S. state |
| November 26 | 1st national Thanksgiving |
