— The reason: The Constitution requires that the president "from time to time give the Congress information on the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."
— The first time: George Washington delivered the first regular "annual message" before a joint session of Congress, in New York, on Jan. 8, 1790.
— Written, not spoken: Thomas Jefferson, the third president, changed the custom with his first annual message on Dec. 8, 1801, by sending written copies to both houses of Congress to be read by clerks. Jefferson wanted to simplify what he believed to be an aristocratic imitation of the British monarch's speech from the throne, which he thought was unsuitable to a republic.
— A speech again: Woodrow Wilson resumed the practice of delivering the speech in person on April 8, 1913.
— Delayed: Ronald Reagan's speech in 1986 was postponed after the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle on Jan. 28 of that year.
— No message: Two presidents never delivered any type of State of the Union message: William Henry Harrison, who died 32 days after his inauguration in 1841, and James A. Garfield, who was assassinated in 1881 after 199 days in office.
Source: Congressional Research Service
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