This is a list of State of the Union addresses. The State of the Union is the constitutionally mandated annual report by the president of the United States, the head of the U.S. federal executive departments, to the United States Congress, the U.S. federal legislative body. [1]
William Henry Harrison (1841) and James A. Garfield (1881) died in their first year in office without delivering a State of the Union.
Before 1933, the State of the Union was delivered at the end of the calendar year. The ratification of the 20th Amendment in 1933 changed the opening of Congress from early March to early January, affecting the delivery of the annual message. There was none in 1933, and since 1934 it has been in January, February or March. [2]
There were unofficial addresses by incoming presidents in 1981, 1989, 1993, 2001, 2009, 2017 and 2021.
Year | President | Format | Date | Word Count [3] | Time (Minutes) [4] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 1790 | George Washington | Spoken | Jan. 8 | 1,089 | Unknown |
Dec 1790 | Dec. 8 | 1,401 | |||
1791 | Oct. 25 | 2,302 | |||
1792 | Nov. 6 | 2,101 | |||
1793 | Dec. 3 | 1,968 | |||
1794 | Nov. 19 | 2,918 | |||
1795 | Dec. 8 | 1,989 | |||
1796 | Dec. 7 | 2,871 | |||
1797 | John Adams | Spoken | Nov. 22 | 2,063 | |
1798 | Dec. 8 | 2,218 | |||
1799 | Dec. 3 | 1,505 | |||
1800 | Nov. 22 | 1,372 | |||
1801 | Thomas Jefferson | Written | Dec. 8 | 3,224 | — |
1802 | Dec. 15 | 2,197 | — | ||
1803 | Oct. 17 | 2,263 | — | ||
1804 | Nov. 8 | 2,096 | — | ||
1805 | Dec. 3 | 2,927 | — | ||
1806 | Dec. 2 | 2,860 | — | ||
1807 | Oct. 27 | 2,384 | — | ||
1808 | Nov. 8 | 2,675 | — | ||
1809 | James Madison | Written | Nov. 29 | 1,831 | — |
1810 | Dec. 5 | 2,446 | — | ||
1811 | Nov. 5 | 2,273 | — | ||
1812 | Nov. 4 | 3,242 | — | ||
1813 | Dec. 7 | 3,257 | — | ||
1814 | Sep. 20 | 2,111 | — | ||
1815 | Dec. 5 | 3,146 | — | ||
1816 | Dec. 3 | 3,364 | — | ||
1817 | James Monroe | Written | Dec. 12 | 4,418 | — |
1818 | Nov. 16 | 4,376 | — | ||
1819 | Dec. 7 | 4,702 | — | ||
1820 | Nov. 14 | 3,446 | — | ||
1821 | Dec. 3 | 5,814 | — | ||
1822 | Dec. 3 | 4,723 | — | ||
1823 | Dec. 2 | 6,358 | — | ||
1824 | Dec. 7 | 8,400 | — | ||
1825 | John Quincy Adams | Written | Dec. 6 | 8,985 | — |
1826 | Dec. 5 | 7,705 | — | ||
1827 | Dec. 4 | 6,917 | — | ||
1828 | Dec. 2 | 7,282 | — | ||
1829 | Andrew Jackson | Written | Dec. 8 | 10,525 | — |
1830 | Dec. 6 | 15,114 | — | ||
1831 | Dec. 6 | 7,178 | — | ||
1832 | Dec. 4 | 7,863 | — | ||
1833 | Dec. 3 | 7,877 | — | ||
1834 | Dec. 1 | 13,411 | — | ||
1835 | Dec. 7 | 10,825 | — | ||
1836 | Dec. 5 | 12,367 | — | ||
1837 | Martin Van Buren | Written | Dec. 5 | 11,449 | — |
1838 | Dec. 3 | 11,488 | — | ||
1839 | Dec. 2 | 13,431 | — | ||
1840 | Dec. 5 | 8,991 | — | ||
— | William Henry Harrison | — | — | — | — |
1841 | John Tyler | Written | Dec. 7 | 8,241 | — |
1842 | Dec. 6 | 8,417 | — | ||
1843 | Dec. 5 | 8,036 | — | ||
1844 | Dec. 3 | 9,318 | — | ||
1845 | James K. Polk | Written | Dec. 2 | 16,111 | — |
1846 | Dec. 8 | 18,222 | — | ||
1847 | Dec. 7 | 16,414 | — | ||
1848 | Dec. 5 | 21,309 | — | ||
1849 | Zachary Taylor | Written | Dec. 4 | 7,617 | — |
1850 | Millard Fillmore | Written | Dec. 2 | 8,322 | — |
1851 | Dec. 2 | 13,244 | — | ||
1852 | Dec. 6 | 9,929 | — | ||
1853 | Franklin Pierce | Written | Dec. 5 | 9,590 | — |
1854 | Dec. 4 | 10,139 | — | ||
1855 | Dec. 31 | 11,612 | — | ||
1856 | Dec. 2 | 10,486 | — | ||
1857 | James Buchanan | Written | Dec. 8 | 13,655 | — |
1858 | Dec. 6 | 16,349 | — | ||
1859 | Dec. 19 | 12,336 | — | ||
1860 | Dec. 3 | 14,049 | — | ||
1861 | Abraham Lincoln | Written | Dec. 3 | 6,987 | — |
1862 | Dec. 1 | 8,385 | — | ||
1863 | Dec. 8 | 6,114 | — | ||
1864 | Dec. 6 | 5,865 | — | ||
1865 | Andrew Johnson | Written | Dec. 4 | 9,232 | — |
1866 | Dec. 3 | 7,134 | — | ||
1867 | Dec. 3 | 12,002 | — | ||
1868 | Dec. 9 | 9,834 | — | ||
1869 | Ulysses S. Grant | Written | Dec. 6 | 7,706 | — |
1870 | Dec. 5 | 8,743 | — | ||
1871 | Dec. 4 | 6,459 | — | ||
1872 | Dec. 2 | 10,102 | — | ||
1873 | Dec. 1 | 10,026 | — | ||
1874 | Dec. 7 | 9,819 | — | ||
1875 | Dec. 7 | 12,211 | — | ||
1876 | Dec. 5 | 6,799 | — | ||
1877 | Rutherford B. Hayes | Written | Dec. 3 | 10,724 | — |
1878 | Dec. 2 | 7,879 | — | ||
1879 | Dec. 1 | 11,635 | — | ||
1880 | Dec. 6 | 13,347 | — | ||
— | James A. Garfield | — | — | — | — |
1881 | Chester A. Arthur | Written | Dec. 6 | 13,321 | — |
1882 | Dec. 4 | 10,274 | — | ||
1883 | Dec. 4 | 8,363 | — | ||
1884 | Dec. 1 | 8,917 | — | ||
1885 | Grover Cleveland | Written | Dec. 8 | 19,960 | — |
1886 | Dec. 6 | 15,285 | — | ||
1887 | Dec. 6 | 5,290 | — | ||
1888 | Dec. 3 | 13,226 | — | ||
1889 | Benjamin Harrison | Written | Dec. 1 | 13,004 | — |
1890 | Dec. 1 | 11,522 | — | ||
1891 | Dec. 9 | 16,306 | — | ||
1892 | Dec. 6 | 13,680 | — | ||
1893 | Grover Cleveland | Written | Dec. 4 | 12,282 | — |
1894 | Dec. 3 | 15,892 | — | ||
1895 | Dec. 2 | 14,670 | — | ||
1896 | Dec. 7 | 15,453 | — | ||
1897 | William McKinley | Written | Dec. 6 | 12,113 | — |
1898 | Dec. 5 | 20,224 | — | ||
1899 | Dec. 5 | 22,831 | — | ||
1900 | Dec. 3 | 19,142 | — | ||
1901 | Theodore Roosevelt | Written | Dec. 3 | 19,616 | — |
1902 | Dec. 5 | 9,782 | — | ||
1903 | Dec. 7 | 14,943 | — | ||
1904 | Dec. 6 | 17,415 | — | ||
1905 | Dec. 5 | 25,071 | — | ||
1906 | Dec. 3 | 23,609 | — | ||
1907 | Dec. 3 | 27,397 | — | ||
1908 | Dec. 8 | 19,411 | — | ||
1909 | William Howard Taft | Written | Dec. 7 | 13,901 | — |
1910 | Dec. 6 | 27,651 | — | ||
1911 | Dec. 5 | 23,744 [lower-alpha 1] | — | ||
1912 | Dec. 3 | 25,161 [lower-alpha 2] | — | ||
1913 | Woodrow Wilson | Spoken | Dec. 2 | 3,553 | Unknown |
1914 | Dec. 8 | 4,537 | |||
1915 | Dec. 7 | 7,687 | |||
1916 | Dec. 5 | 2,118 | |||
1917 | Dec. 4 | 3,913 | |||
1918 | Dec. 2 | 5,463 | |||
1919 | Written | Dec. 2 | 4,756 | — | |
1920 | Dec. 7 | 2,706 | — | ||
1921 | Warren G. Harding | Spoken | Dec. 6 | 5,606 | Unknown |
1922 | Dec. 8 | 5,748 | |||
1923 | Calvin Coolidge | Spoken | Dec. 6 | 6,706 | |
1924 | Written | Dec. 3 | 6,968 | — | |
1925 | Dec. 8 | 10,848 | — | ||
1926 | Dec. 7 | 10,305 | — | ||
1927 | Dec. 6 | 8,777 | — | ||
1928 | Dec. 4 | 8,061 | — | ||
1929 | Herbert Hoover | Written | Dec. 3 | 10,994 | — |
1930 | Dec. 5 | 4,536 | — | ||
1931 | Dec. 8 | 5,682 | — | ||
1932 | Dec. 6 | 4,201 | — | ||
1933 | — | — | — | — | — |
1934 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Spoken | Jan. 3 | 2,230 | Unknown |
1935 | Jan. 4 | 3,525 | |||
1936 | Jan. 3 | 3,826 | 50 [6] | ||
1937 | Jan. 6 | 2,732 | Unknown | ||
1938 | Jan. 3 | 4,697 | |||
1939 | Jan. 4 | 3,768 | |||
1940 | Jan. 3 | 3,196 | |||
1941 | Jan. 6 | 3,312 | |||
1942 | Jan. 6 | 3,511 | |||
1943 | Jan. 7 | 4,588 | |||
1944 | Written | Jan. 11 | 3,805 | — | |
1945 | Jan. 6 | 8,211 | — | ||
1946 | Harry S. Truman | Written | Jan. 21 | 27,465 | — |
1947 | Spoken | Jan. 6 | 6,028 | Unknown | |
1948 | Jan. 7 | 5,094 | |||
1949 | Jan. 5 | 3,401 | |||
1950 | Jan. 4 | 5,130 | |||
1951 | Jan. 8 | 3,994 | |||
1952 | Jan. 9 | 5,369 | |||
1953 | Written | Jan. 7 | 9,683 | — | |
1953 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Spoken | Feb. 2 | 6,973 | 56 [7] |
1954 | Jan. 7 | 5,985 | 52 [8] | ||
1955 | Jan. 6 | 7,250 | 53 [8] | ||
1956 | Written | Jan. 5 | 8,265 | — | |
1957 | Spoken | Jan. 10 | 4,137 | 33 [9] | |
1958 | Jan. 9 | 4,915 | 44 [10] | ||
1959 | Jan. 9 | 4,933 | 42 [11] | ||
1960 | Jan. 7 | 5,633 | 45 [12] | ||
1961 | Written | Jan. 12 | 6,210 | — | |
1961 | John F. Kennedy | Spoken | Jan. 30 | 5,274 | 43 [13] |
1962 | Jan. 11 | 6,569 | 53 [14] | ||
1963 | Jan. 14 | 5,470 | 43 [15] | ||
1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Spoken | Jan. 8 | 3,168 | 41 |
1965 | Jan. 4 | 4,399 | 47 | ||
1966 | Jan. 12 | 5,542 | 51 | ||
1967 | Jan. 10 | 7,195 | 71 | ||
1968 | Jan. 17 | 4,914 | 50 | ||
1969 | Jan. 14 | 4,115 | 44 | ||
1970 | Richard Nixon | Spoken | Jan. 22 | 4,457 | 37 |
1971 | Jan. 22 | 4,508 | 33 | ||
1972 | Jan. 20 | 3,976 | 29 | ||
1973 | Written | Feb. 2 | 27,147 [lower-alpha 3] | — | |
1974 | Spoken | Jan. 30 | 5,144 | 43 | |
1975 | Gerald Ford | Spoken | Jan. 15 | 4,126 | 41 |
1976 | Jan. 19 | 4,948 | 51 | ||
1977 | Jan. 12 | 4,727 | 45 | ||
1978 | Jimmy Carter | Spoken | Jan. 19 | 4,580 | 46 |
1979 | Jan. 25 | 3,257 | 33 | ||
1980 | Jan. 21 | 3,412 | 32 | ||
1981 | Written | Jan. 16 | 33,667 | — | |
1981 [lower-alpha 4] | Ronald Reagan | Spoken | Feb. 18 | 4,446 | 33 |
1982 | Jan. 26 | 5,154 | 40 | ||
1983 | Jan. 25 | 5,554 | 46 | ||
1984 | Jan. 25 | 4,931 | 43 | ||
1985 | Feb. 6 | 4,214 | 40 | ||
1986 | Feb. 4 | 3,514 | 31 | ||
1987 | Jan. 27 | 3,847 | 35 | ||
1988 | Jan. 25 | 4,955 | 44 | ||
1989 [lower-alpha 4] | George H. W. Bush | Spoken | Feb. 9 | 4,811 | 48 |
1990 | Jan. 31 | 3,777 | 36 | ||
1991 | Jan. 29 | 3,823 | 47 | ||
1992 | Jan. 28 | 5,012 | 51 | ||
1993 [lower-alpha 4] | Bill Clinton | Spoken | Feb. 17 | 7,003 | 66 |
1994 | Jan. 25 | 7,432 | 64 | ||
1995 | Jan. 24 | 9,190 | 85 | ||
1996 | Jan. 23 | 6,317 | 67 | ||
1997 | Feb. 4 | 6,774 | 64 | ||
1998 | Jan. 27 | 7,303 | 77 | ||
1999 | Jan. 19 | 7,514 | 79 | ||
2000 | Jan. 27 | 7,452 | 89 | ||
2001 [lower-alpha 4] | George W. Bush | Spoken | Feb. 27 | 4,362 | 49 |
2002 | Jan. 29 | 3,878 | 48 | ||
2003 | Jan. 28 | 5,413 | 60 | ||
2004 | Jan. 20 | 5,229 | 54 | ||
2005 | Feb. 2 | 5,096 | 53 | ||
2006 | Jan. 31 | 5,323 | 51 | ||
2007 | Jan. 23 | 5,590 | 49 | ||
2008 | Jan. 28 | 5,760 | 53 | ||
2009 [lower-alpha 4] | Barack Obama | Spoken | Feb. 24 | 5,902 | 52 |
2010 | Jan. 27 | 7,304 | 69 | ||
2011 | Jan. 25 | 6,878 | 62 | ||
2012 | Jan. 24 | 7,059 | 65 | ||
2013 | Feb. 12 | 6,775 | 60 | ||
2014 | Jan. 28 | 6,989 | 65 | ||
2015 | Jan. 20 | 6,718 | 60 | ||
2016 | Jan. 12 | 6,044 | 59 | ||
2017 [lower-alpha 4] | Donald Trump | Spoken | Feb. 28 | 5,006 | 60 |
2018 | Jan. 30 | 5,839 | 81 | ||
2019 | Feb. 5 | 5,540 | 82 | ||
2020 | Feb. 4 | 6,217 | 78 | ||
2021 [lower-alpha 4] | Joe Biden | Spoken | Apr. 28 | 8,003 | 65 |
2022 | Mar. 1 | 7,705 | 62 | ||
2023 | Feb. 7 | 9,216 | 73 | ||
2024 | Mar. 7 | 8,078 | 67 |
The State of the Union Address is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to a joint session of the United States Congress near the beginning of most calendar years on the current condition of the nation. The State of the Union Address generally includes reports on the nation's budget, economy, news, agenda, progress, achievements and the president's priorities and legislative proposals.
The 1995 State of the Union Address was given by the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, on January 24, 1995, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 104th United States Congress. It was Clinton's second State of the Union Address and his third speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Newt Gingrich, accompanied by Al Gore, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
The 1994 State of the Union Address was given by the 42nd president of the United States, Bill Clinton, on January 25, 1994, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 103rd United States Congress. It was Clinton's first State of the Union Address and his second speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Tom Foley, accompanied by Vice President Al Gore, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
The 1992 State of the Union Address was given by the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush, on January 28, 1992, at 9:00 p.m. EST, in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives to the 102nd United States Congress. It was Bush's third and final State of the Union Address and his fourth and final speech to a joint session of the United States Congress. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Tom Foley, accompanied by Dan Quayle, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
The 1964 State of the Union Address was given by Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, on Wednesday, January 8, 1964, to the 88th United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Johnson's first State of the Union Address and his second speech to a joint session of the United States Congress after the assassination of his predecessor John F. Kennedy in November 1963. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker John W. McCormack, accompanied by President pro tempore Carl Hayden, in his capacity as the acting president of the Senate since the office of Vice President was vacant.
The 1955 State of the Union Address was given by the 34th president of the United States, Dwight D. Eisenhower, on Thursday, January 6, 1955, to the 84th United States Congress. He said, "Every citizen wants to give full expression to his God-given talents and abilities and to have the recognition and respect accorded under our religious and political traditions." He also said, "To protect our nations and our peoples from the catastrophe of a "nuclear holocaust", free nations must maintain countervailing military power to persuade the Communists of the futility of seeking their ends through aggression." He is referring to what seemed to be the high likelihood of nuclear warfare of the time. He ended with, "And so, I know with all my heart--and I deeply believe that all Americans know--that, despite the anxieties of this divided world, our faith, and the cause in which we all believe, will surely prevail." This address was given in his first term (1953-1957), in Washington, D.C.
The 1956 State of the Union Address was delivered by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Friday, January 5, 1956, to both houses of the 84th United States Congress in written format. Eisenhower did not deliver a speech before a joint session of Congress because he had suffered a major heart attack four months prior and was recovering in Key West, Florida. Instead, Eisenhower opted to pre-record remarks from his office at the Naval Air Station in Key West summarizing his State of the Union Address which were broadcast to the nation in the evening on January 5.
The 1973 State of the Union Address was delivered to the 93rd United States Congress as a series of six written messages from February 2 to March 14, 1973. The first message was an overview, which was then followed by five additional messages, each of which focused on a specific public policy theme.
The 1800 State of the Union Address was given by John Adams, the second president of the United States, on Tuesday, November 11, 1800, to a joint session of the 6th United States Congress. It was the first State of the Union Address delivered at the new United States Capitol in Washington, D.C.
The 1946 State of the Union Address was given by the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman, on Monday, January 21, 1946, to the 79th United States Congress. It was written by Samuel Rosenman and is notable for being the longest State of the Union message at the time: the written speech was sent to Congress, not orally given, and was 27,465 words long. The address combined Truman's economic report with state of the union information regrading returning to a peace economy after the end of World War Two, foreign policy in Europe and the admission of Hawaii into the United States.
The presidency of William Howard Taft began on March 4, 1909, when William Howard Taft was inaugurated the 27th president of the United States and ended on March 4, 1913.
The 1981 State of the Union address was delivered by President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, to the 97th United States Congress in written format on January 16, 1981. In this address, Carter discussed economic issues as well as the Iranian hostage crisis. Carter began his speech with:
The State of the Union is sound. Our economy is recovering from a recession. A national energy plan is in place and our dependence on foreign oil is decreasing. We have been at peace for four uninterrupted years. But, our Nation has serious problems. Inflation and unemployment are unacceptably high. The world oil market is increasingly tight. There are trouble spots throughout the world, and 53 American hostages are being held in Iran against international law and against every precept of human affairs.
The 1977 State of the Union address was given by President Gerald R. Ford to a joint session of the 95th United States Congress on Wednesday, January 12, 1977. Presiding over this joint session was the House speaker, Tip O'Neill, accompanied by Nelson Rockefeller, the vice president, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
The 1923 State of the Union Address was given by Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president of the United States, on Thursday, December 6, 1923, to the 68th United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Coolidge's first State of the Union Address and his first speech to a joint session of the United States Congress after assuming the presidency upon the death of Warren G. Harding four months earlier in 1923. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Frederick H. Gillett, accompanied by President pro tempore Albert B. Cummins, in his capacity as the acting president of the Senate since the office of Vice President was vacant.
The 1965 State of the Union Address was given by Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, on Monday, January 4, 1965, to the 89th United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Johnson's second State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker John W. McCormack, accompanied by President pro tempore Carl Hayden, in his capacity as the acting president of the Senate since the office of Vice President was vacant. To date, Carl Hayden is the last president pro tempore to preside at a State of the Union Address.
The 1967 State of the Union Address was given by Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, on Tuesday, January 10, 1967, to the 90th United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Johnson's fourth State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker John W. McCormack, accompanied by Vice President Hubert Humphrey, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
The 1969 State of the Union Address was given by Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th president of the United States, on Tuesday, January 14, 1969, to the 91st United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Johnson's sixth and final State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker John W. McCormack, accompanied by Vice President Hubert Humphrey, in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
The 1957 State of the Union Address was given by Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States, on Thursday, January 10, 1957, to the 85th United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Eisenhower's sixth State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Sam Rayburn, accompanied by Vice President Richard Nixon, in his capacity as the president of the Senate. The speech was broadcast live over both radio and television.
The January 1953 State of the Union Address was delivered by outgoing President Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, on Wednesday, January 7, 1953, to both houses of the 83rd United States Congress in written format. Truman did not deliver this as a speech before a joint session of Congress. The written address consisted of 9,683 words.
The 1951 State of the Union Address was given by Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, on Monday, January 8, 1951, to the 82nd United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives. It was Truman's sixth State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Sam Rayburn, accompanied by Vice President Alben W. Barkley in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
Hand clapping was heard 55 times during the 56-minute speech, mostly from the GOP side of the aisle.
Dressed in a conservative gray business suit, Eisenhower stood for 33 minutes before a combined, undemonstrative Senate-House session in the klieg-lit House chamber.