U.S. Senate: Reference Home > Dates of Sessions of the Congress

Dates of Sessions of the Congress, present-1789 (1789-present)

Congress	Session	Begin Date	Adjourn Date

112	2	Jan 3, 2012
	1	Jan 5, 2011	Jan 3, 2012

111	2	Jan 5, 2010	Dec 22, 2010
	1	Jan 6, 2009	Dec 24, 2009¹

110	2	Jan 3, 2008	Jan 3, 2009²
	1	Jan 4, 2007	Dec 31, 2007³

109	2	Jan 3, 2006	Dec 9, 2006⁴
	1	Jan 4, 2005	Dec 22, 2005

108	2	Jan 20, 2004	Dec 8, 2004
	1	Jan 7, 2003	Dec 9, 2003

107	2	Jan 23, 2002	Nov 22, 2002
	1	Jan 3, 2001	Dec 20, 2001

106	2	Jan 24, 2000	Dec 15, 2000
	1	Jan 6, 1999	Nov 22, 1999

105	2	Jan 27, 1998	Dec 19, 1998⁵
	1	Jan 7, 1997	Nov 13, 1997

104	2	Jan 3, 1996	Oct 4, 1996
	1	Jan 4, 1995	Jan 3, 1996

103	2	Jan 25, 1994	Dec 1, 1994
	1	Jan 5, 1993	Nov 26, 1993

102	2	Jan 3, 1992	Oct 9, 1992
	1	Jan 3, 1991	Jan 3, 1992

101	2	Jan 23, 1990	Oct 28, 1990⁶
	1	Jan 3, 1989	Nov 22, 1989

100	2	Jan 25, 1988	Oct 22, 1988
	1	Jan 6, 1987	Dec 22, 1987

99	2	Jan 21, 1986	Oct 18, 1986
	1	Jan 3, 1985	Dec 20, 1985

98	2	Jan 23, 1984	Oct 12, 1984
	1	Jan 3, 1983	Nov 18, 1983

97	2	Jan 25, 1982	Dec 23, 1982
	1	Jan 5, 1981	Dec 16, 1981

96	2	Jan 3, 1980	Dec 16, 1980
	1	Jan 15, 1979	Jan 3, 1980⁷

95	2	Jan 19, 1978	Oct 15, 1978
	1	Jan 4, 1977	Dec 15, 1977

94	2	Jan 19, 1976	Oct 1, 1976
	1	Jan 14, 1975	Dec 19, 1975

93	2	Jan 21, 1974	Dec 20, 1974
	1	Jan 3, 1973	Dec 22, 1973

92	2	Jan 18, 1972	Oct 18, 1972
	1	Jan 21, 1971	Dec 17, 1971

91	2	Jan 19, 1970	Jan 2, 1971
	1	Jan 3, 1969	Dec 23, 1969

90	2	Jan 15, 1968	Oct 14, 1968
	1	Jan 10, 1967	Dec 15, 1967

89	2	Jan 10, 1966	Oct 22, 1966
	1	Jan 4, 1965	Oct 23, 1965

88	2	Jan 7, 1964	Oct 3, 1964
	1	Jan 9, 1963	Dec 30, 1963

87	2	Jan 10, 1962	Oct 13, 1962
	1	Jan 3, 1961	Sep 27, 1961

86	2	Jan 6, 1960	Sep 1, 1960
	1	Jan 7, 1959	Sep 15, 1959

85	2	Jan 7, 1958	Aug 24, 1958
	1	Jan 3, 1957	Aug 30, 1957

84	2	Jan 3, 1956	Jul 27, 1956
	1	Jan 5, 1955	Aug 2, 1955

83	2	Jan 6, 1954	Dec 2, 1954⁸
	1	Jan 3, 1953	Aug 3, 1953

82	2	Jan 8, 1952	Jul 7, 1952
	1	Jan 3, 1951	Oct 20, 1951

81	2	Jan 3, 1950	Jan 2, 1951
	1	Jan 3, 1949	Oct 19, 1949

80	2	Jan 6, 1948	Dec 31, 1948
	1	Jan 3, 1947	Dec 19, 1947

79	2	Jan 14, 1946	Aug 2, 1946
	1	Jan 3, 1945	Dec 21, 1945

78	2	Jan 10, 1944	Dec 19, 1944
	1	Jan 6, 1943	Dec 21, 1943

77	2	Jan 5, 1942	Dec 16, 1942
	1	Jan 3, 1941	Jan 2, 1942

76	3	Jan 3, 1940	Jan 3, 1941
	2	Sep 21, 1939	Nov 3, 1939
	1	Jan 3, 1939	Aug 5, 1939

75	3	Jan 3, 1938	Jun 16, 1938
	2	Nov 15, 1937	Dec 21, 1937
	1	Jan 5, 1937	Aug 21, 1937

74	2	Jan 3, 1936	Jun 20, 1936
	1	Jan 3, 1935	Aug 26, 1935

73	2	Jan 3, 1934	Jun 18, 1934
	1	Mar 9, 1933	Jun 15, 1933
	S	Mar 4, 1933	Mar 6, 1933

72	2	Dec 5, 1932	Mar 3, 1933
	1	Dec 7, 1931	Jul 16, 1932

71	3	Dec 1, 1930	Mar 3, 1931
	S	Jul 7, 1930	Jul 21, 1930
	2	Dec 2, 1929	Jul 3, 1930
	1	Apr 15, 1929	Nov 22, 1929
	S	Mar 4, 1929	Mar 5, 1929

70	2	Dec 3, 1928	Mar 3, 1929
	1	Dec 5, 1927	May 29, 1928

69	2	Dec 6, 1926	Mar 4, 1927
	1	Dec 7, 1925	Jul 3, 1926
	S	Mar 4, 1925	Mar 18, 1925

68	2	Dec 1, 1924	Mar 3, 1925
	1	Dec 3, 1923	Jun 7, 1924

67	4	Dec 4, 1922	Mar 3, 1923
	3	Nov 20, 1922	Dec 4, 1922
	2	Dec 5, 1921	Sep 22, 1922
	1	Apr 11, 1921	Nov 23, 1921
	S	Mar 4, 1921	Mar 15, 1921

66	3	Dec 6, 1920	Mar 3, 1921
	2	Dec 1, 1919	Jun 5, 1920
	1	May 19, 1919	Nov 19, 1919

65	3	Dec 2, 1918	Mar 3, 1919
	2	Dec 3, 1917	Nov 21, 1918
	1	Apr 2, 1917	Oct 6, 1917
	S	Mar 5, 1917	Mar 16, 1917

64	2	Dec 4, 1916	Mar 3, 1917
	1	Dec 6, 1915	Sep 8, 1916

63	3	Dec 7, 1914	Mar 3, 1915
	2	Dec 1, 1913	Oct 24, 1914
	1	Apr 7, 1913	Dec 1, 1913
	S	Mar 4, 1913	Mar 17, 1913

62	3	Dec 2, 1912	Mar 3, 1913
	2	Dec 4, 1911	Aug 26, 1912
	1	Apr 4, 1911	Aug 22, 1911

61	3	Dec 5, 1910	Mar 3, 1911
	2	Dec 6, 1909	Jun 25, 1910
	1	Mar 15, 1909	Aug 5, 1909
	S	Mar 4, 1909	Mar 6, 1909

60	2	Dec 7, 1908	Mar 3, 1909
	1	Dec 2, 1907	May 30, 1908

59	2	Dec 3, 1906	Mar 3, 1907
	1	Dec 4, 1905	Jun 30, 1906
	S	Mar 4, 1905	Mar 18, 1905

58	3	Dec 5, 1905	Mar 3, 1905
	2	Dec 7, 1903	Apr 28, 1904
	1	Nov 9, 1903	Dec 7, 1903
	S	Mar 5, 1903	Mar 19, 1903

57	2	Dec 1, 1902	Mar 3, 1903
	1	Dec 2, 1901	Jul 1, 1902
	S	Mar 4, 1901	Mar 9, 1901

56	2	Dec 3, 1900	Mar 3, 1901
	1	Dec 4, 1899	Jun 7, 1900

55	3	Dec 5, 1898	Mar 3, 1899
	2	Dec 6, 1897	Jul 8, 1898
	1	Mar 15, 1897	Jul 24, 1897
	S	Mar 4, 1897	Mar 10, 1897

54	2	Dec 7, 1896	Mar 3, 1897
	1	Dec 2, 1895	Jun 11, 1896

53	3	Dec 3, 1894	Mar 3, 1895
	2	Dec 4, 1893	Aug 28, 1894
	1	Aug 7, 1893	Nov 3, 1893
	S	Mar 4, 1893	Apr 15, 1893

52	2	Dec 5, 1892	Mar 3, 1893
	1	Dec 7, 1891	Aug 5, 1892

51	2	Dec 1, 1890	Mar 3, 1891
	1	Dec 2, 1889	Oct 1, 1890
	S	Mar 4, 1889	Apr 2, 1889

50	2	Dec 3, 1888	Mar 3, 1889
	1	Dec 5, 1887	Oct 20, 1888

49	2	Dec 6, 1886	Mar 3, 1887
	1	Dec 7, 1885	Aug 5, 1886
	S	Mar 4, 1885	Apr 2, 1885

48	2	Dec 1, 1884	Mar 3, 1885
	1	Dec 3, 1883	Jul 7, 1884

47	2	Dec 4, 1882	Mar 3, 1883
	1	Dec 5, 1881	Aug 8, 1882
	S	Oct 10, 1881	Oct 29, 1881
	S	Mar 4, 1881	May 20, 1881

46	3	Dec 6, 1880	Mar 3, 1881
	2	Dec 1, 1879	Jun 16, 1880
	1	Mar 18, 1879	Jul 1, 1879

45	3	Dec 2, 1878	Mar 3, 1879
	2	Dec 3, 1877	Jun 20, 1878
	1	Oct 15, 1877	Dec 3, 1877
	S	Mar 5, 1877	Mar 17, 1877

44	2	Dec 4, 1876	Mar 3, 1877
	1	Dec 6, 1875	Aug 15, 1876
	S	Mar 5, 1875	Mar 24, 1875

43	2	Dec 7, 1874	Mar 3, 1875
	1	Dec 1, 1873	Jun 23, 1874
	S	Mar 4, 1873	Mar 26, 1873

42	3	Dec 2, 1872	Mar 3, 1873
	2	Dec 4, 1871	Jun 10, 1872
	S	May 10, 1871	May 27, 1871
	1	Mar 4, 1871	Apr 20, 1871

41	3	Dec 5, 1870	Mar 3, 1871
	2	Dec 6, 1869	Jul 15, 1870
	S	Apr 12, 1869	Apr 22, 1869
	1	Mar 4, 1869	Apr 10, 1869

40	3	Dec 7, 1868	Mar 3, 1869
	2	Dec 2, 1867	Nov 10, 1868
	S	Apr 1, 1867	Apr 20, 1867
	1	Mar 4, 1867	Dec 1, 1867

39	2	Dec 3, 1866	Mar 3, 1867
	1	Dec 4, 1865	Jul 28, 1866
	S	Mar 4, 1865	Mar 11, 1865

38	2	Dec 5, 1864	Mar 3, 1865
	1	Dec 7, 1863	Jul 4, 1864
	S	Mar 4, 1863	Mar 14, 1863

37	3	Dec 1, 1862	Mar 3, 1863
	2	Dec 2, 1861	Jul 17, 1862
	1	Jul 4, 1861	Aug 6, 1861
	S	Mar 4, 1861	Mar 28, 1861

36	2	Dec 3, 1860	Mar 3, 1861
	S	Jun 26, 1860	Jun 28, 1860
	1	Dec 5, 1859	Jun 25, 1860
	S	Mar 4, 1859	Mar 10, 1859

35	2	Dec 6, 1858	Mar 3, 1859
	S	Jun 15, 1858	Jun 16, 1858
	1	Dec 7, 1857	Jun 14, 1858
	S	Mar 4, 1857	Mar 14, 1857

34	3	Dec 1, 1856	Mar 3, 1857
	2	Aug 21, 1856	Aug 30, 1856
	1	Dec 3, 1855	Aug 18, 1856

33	2	Dec 4, 1854	Mar 3, 1855
	1	Dec 5, 1853	Aug 7, 1854
	S	Mar 4, 1853	Apr 11, 1853

32	2	Dec 6, 1852	Mar 3, 1853
	1	Dec 1, 1851	Aug 31, 1852
	S	Mar 4, 1851	Mar 13, 1851

31	2	Dec 2, 1850	Mar 3, 1851
	1	Dec 3, 1849	Sep 30, 1850
	S	Mar 5, 1849	Mar 23, 1849

30	2	Dec 4, 1848	Mar 3, 1849
	1	Dec 6, 1847	Aug 14, 1848

29	2	Dec 7, 1846	Mar 3, 1847
	1	Dec 1, 1845	Aug 10, 1846
	S	Mar 4, 1845	Mar 20, 1845

28	2	Dec 2, 1844	Mar 3, 1845
	1	Dec 4, 1843	Jun 17, 1844

27	3	Dec 5, 1842	Mar 3, 1843
	2	Dec 6, 1841	Aug 31, 1842
	1	May 31, 1841	Sep 13, 1841
	S	Mar 4, 1841	Mar 15, 1841

26	2	Dec 7, 1840	Mar 3, 1841
	1	Dec 2, 1839	Jul 21, 1840

25	3	Dec 3, 1838	Mar 3, 1839
	2	Dec 4, 1837	Jul 9, 1838
	1	Sep 4, 1837	Oct 16, 1837
	S	Mar 4, 1837	Mar 10, 1837

24	2	Dec 5, 1836	Mar 3, 1837
	1	Dec 7, 1835	Jul 4, 1836

23	2	Dec 1, 1834	Mar 3, 1835
	1	Dec 2, 1833	Jun 30, 1834

22	2	Dec 3, 1832	Mar 2, 1833
	1	Dec 5, 1831	Jul 16, 1832

21	2	Dec 6, 1830	Mar 3, 1831
	1	Dec 7, 1829	May 31, 1830
	S	Mar 4, 1829	Mar 17, 1829

20	2	Dec 1, 1828	Mar 3, 1829
	1	Dec 3, 1827	May 26, 1828

19	2	Dec 4, 1826	Mar 3, 1827
	1	Dec 5, 1825	May 22, 1826
	S	Mar 4, 1825	Mar 9, 1825

18	2	Dec 6, 1824	Mar 3, 1825
	1	Dec 1, 1823	May 27, 1824

17	2	Dec 2, 1822	Mar 3, 1823
	1	Dec 3, 1821	May 8, 1822

16	2	Nov 13, 1820	Mar 3, 1821
	1	Dec 6, 1819	May 15, 1820

15	2	Nov 16, 1818	Mar 3, 1819
	1	Dec 1, 1817	Apr 20, 1818
	S	Mar 4, 1817	Mar 6, 1817

14	2	Dec 2, 1816	Mar 3, 1817
	1	Dec 4, 1815	Apr 30, 1816

13	3	Sep 19, 1814	Mar 3, 1815
	2	Dec 6, 1813	Apr 18, 1814
	1	May 24, 1813	Aug 2, 1813

12	2	Nov 2, 1812	Mar 3, 1813
	1	Nov 4, 1811	Jul 6, 1812

11	3	Dec 3, 1810	Mar 3, 1811
	2	Nov 27, 1809	May 1, 1810
	1	May 22, 1809	Jun 28, 1809
	S	Mar 4, 1809	Mar 7, 1809

10	2	Nov 7, 1808	Mar 3, 1809
	1	Oct 26, 1807	Apr 25, 1808

9	2	Dec 1, 1806	Mar 3, 1807
	1	Dec 2, 1805	Apr 21, 1806

8	2	Nov 5, 1804	Mar 3, 1805
	1	Oct 17, 1803	Mar 27, 1804

7	2	Dec 6, 1802	Mar 3, 1803
	1	Dec 7, 1801	May 3, 1802
	S	Mar 4, 1801	Mar 5, 1801

6	2	Nov 17, 1800	Mar 3, 1801
	1	Dec 2, 1799	May 14, 1800

5	3	Dec 3, 1798	Mar 3, 1799
	2	Nov 13, 1797	Jul 16, 1798
	S	Jul 17, 1798	Jul 19, 1798
	1	May 15, 1797	Jul 10, 1797
	S	Mar 4, 1797	Mar 4, 1797

4	2	Dec 5, 1796	Mar 3, 1797
	1	Dec 7, 1795	Jun 1, 1796
	S	Jun 8, 1795	Jun 26, 1795

3	2	Nov 3, 1794	Mar 3, 1795
	1	Dec 2, 1793	Jun 9, 1794
	S	Mar 4, 1793	Mar 4, 1793

2	2	Nov 5, 1792	Mar 2, 1793
	1	Oct 24, 1791	May 8, 1792
	S	Mar 4, 1791	Mar 4, 1791

1	3	Dec 6, 1790	Mar 3, 1791
	2	Jan 4, 1790	Aug 12, 1790
	1	Mar 4, 1789	Sep 29, 1789

1. House adjourned Dec 23, 2009

2. Senate adjourned sine die on January 2, 2009.

3. House adjourned sine die Dec 19, 2007

4. Senate adjourned 4:39 a.m. Dec 9; House adjourned 3:17 a.m. Dec 9

5. Senate adjourned sine die Oct 21, 1998.

6. Senate adjourned 2:17 a.m. Oct 28

7. Senate adjourned sine die Dec 20, 1979

8. House adjourned sine die Aug 20, 1954

The Sessions of Congress page of the Virtual Reference Desk provides additional information about congressional sessions.

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