Since George Washington delivered the first inaugural speech in 1789, every elected president has addressed the nation after taking the oath of office. These inspiring, uplifting, and informative inaugural addresses capture the spirit of the times and the mood of the country every four years. Some even rank among the landmark speeches in American history, particularly the inaugural addresses of presidents Thomas Jefferson in 1801, Abraham Lincoln in 1865, Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, and John F. Kennedy in 1961.