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First Use Of 20th Amendment Shortens Terms

1937

Because of the 20th Amendment, President Franklin Roosevelt’s first term starts on March 4, 1933, and ends on Jan. 20, 1937, cutting his term by about six weeks. The sitting Congress elected two years prior also sees shorter terms. Roosevelt’s second inauguration is held on Jan. 20. Vice President John Nance Garner is inaugurated outdoors on the same platform with the Roosevelt.