More than two months after he was elected to be the 45th president of the United States, Donald Trump will be officially sworn in to office on Friday (Jan. 20). But if votes are cast in November, why does so much time elapse between the election and the inauguration ceremony?

While 10 weeks may seem like a long wait, past presidents had to contend with a much longer delay before taking up the mantle, historical records show.

This week’s 58th inauguration ceremony will be only the 21st ceremony held in January. Prior to the 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1933, every new president was expected to take office on March 4. There were exceptions, such as if a vice president took the oath after the death of a sitting president.

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