When was the most recent U.S. presidential inauguration and who won the 2024 election?

1. What happened on Inauguration Day — the basic facts

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies hosted the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies on January 20, 2025, marking the formal swearing-in of President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance ^[1]. Congressional, Senate and other official pages and news outlets scheduled and described traditional inaugural events — the swearing-in on the west front of the U.S. Capitol, the inaugural address and associated ceremonies — for that date ^{[2] [6]}.

2. Who won the 2024 election — consensus across outlets

Major outlets and public records cited in the search results report that former President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential election, defeating Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, with media projections and later official tallies showing Trump crossing the 270 electoral vote threshold ^{[3] [4] [5]}. Election tracking sources and encyclopedic summaries record Trump’s victory and note the November 5, 2024, date for the popular vote ^{[5] [7]}.

3. When the inauguration was scheduled — why Jan. 20

Inauguration Day traditionally falls on January 20 following a presidential election, unless that date is a Sunday; in 2025 January 20 fell on a Monday, so the public ceremonies were held then ^[6]. Congressional and congressional-adjacent offices (e.g., senators’ pages, the Joint Committee) listed January 20, 2025 as the swearing-in date and organized ticketing, platform construction and inauguration logistics around that timeline ^{[2] [8] [1]}.

4. How different sources framed the victory

Reuters explicitly stated the president-elect will take office on Jan. 20 after “defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris,” presenting a straightforward timeline from election to inauguration ^[3]. Broadcast outlets such as NBC projected Trump as president-elect after key state calls and made clear the January 20 inauguration date ^{[9] [10]}. Encyclopedic sources (Wikipedia, Ballotpedia) summarize the election result and related inauguration date in their timelines ^{[11] [12]}.

5. Vote counting, certification and Electoral College steps noted in reporting

Authoritative timelines in the provided reporting note the Electoral College met on Dec. 17, 2024, the 119th Congress counted electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2025, and the winner was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2025 — reflecting the constitutional process from state certification through joint session and swearing-in ^{[12] [1]}. The Federal Election Commission’s compilation of official results is listed among available official documents ^{[13] [14]}.

6. Indicators of turnout and post-election analysis

The U.S. Census Bureau’s CPS-based voting tables reported that, in the 2024 election, 65.3% of the citizen voting-age population voted (about 154 million people) and 73.6% were registered (about 174 million), giving context to the size of the electorate that led to the result ^[15]. Post-election analyses, such as a Pew Research Center breakdown, highlighted demographic shifts — for example, Trump making gains with several voter groups that analysts say proved decisive ^[16].

7. Areas of divergence and limits of the provided record

While multiple sources in the results consistently report Trump’s victory and the Jan. 20, 2025 inauguration, some documents are administrative or promotional (e.g., inaugural ticket pages, USPS memorabilia) rather than investigative accounts ^{[2] [17]}. Available sources do not mention contested legal challenges or unresolved disputes in detail here — if you want reporting on litigation, recounts, or certification disputes, those items are not found in the current search results and would require targeted sources (not found in current reporting).

8. Why this matters — institutional continuity and public perception

The swearing-in on Jan. 20, 2025, represents the constitutional transition of power and the culmination of the 2024 electoral calendar that included the November vote, Electoral College meeting and congressional count ^{[12] [1]}. Analysts and polling groups have already started and continue to study how shifts in turnout and demographic support produced the 2024 outcome and what that may mean for policy, governance and party strategy ^{[15] [16]}.

If you want, I can pull excerpts from the Reuters, BBC or AP pieces cited here for more granular timelines or provide a timeline of key post-election dates (Electoral College, congressional certification, inauguration) with direct quotes from each source.