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Years and Sessions of Congress
The annual series of meetings of a Congress is called a session. Each Congress generally has two sessions, based on the constitutional mandate that Congress assemble at least once a year. In addition, a meeting of one or both houses is a session. And a house is said to be in session on any particular day when it is meeting.
Guides to Years and Sessions of Congress
A complete guide to the sessions of Congress, which includes the beginning and ending dates, recesses, number of days in the session, the name of the Speaker of the House and the President Pro Tem of the Senate, may be found online by searching the Congressional Directory. Type in the search term "sessions" and select the result "Sessions of Congress."
- Virtual Reference Desk: Sessions of Congress (United States Senate)
- This guide explains various terms associated with the Congressional session system. Includes some historical anecdotes and other related items.
- Sessions of Congress (United States Senate)
- This section of the Senate Web wite provides chronologies, statistics, and other historical data on all night sessions, joint sessions and meetings, lame duck sessions, meeting places, Saturday and Sunday sessions, specific days the House and Senate were in session, and Senate sessions while presidents lay in state. Although this has the same title as the resource listed immediately above, and is also on the U.S. Senate Web site, this is not the same resource.
- Session Dates of Congress (Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives)
- This chronology of the sessions of Congress gives the beginning date and adjournment date of each session, along with the total number of days for each session and the dates of all House recesses.
- Sessions of the Congress of the United States (The Green Papers)
- This detailed chart of Congressional sessions shows dates, session numbers, type of session, and names of Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Chart can be displayed in chronological or reverse chronological order. Chart is accompanied by an Explanation of the types of Sessions of Congress.
- Sessions of Congress With Corresponding Debate Record Volume Numbers (1789 - 2006) (Law Librarians' Society of Washington, DC)
- This chart shows years and session dates of Congress, along with number of corresponding volume in Congressional Record, Congressional Globe, Register of Debates, or Annals of Congress.
Table Showing Years and Session Dates of Congress
Jump to Decade: 2000s | 1990s | 1980s | 1970s | 1960s | 1950s | 1940s | 1930s | 1920s | 1910s | 1900s | 1890s | 1880s | 1870s | 1860s | 1850s | 1840s | 1830s | 1820s | 1810s | 1800s | 1790s | 1780s |
| 2007–2008 | 110th Congress | Session 1: JAN 4, 2007 / DEC 19, 2007 Session 2: JAN 3, 2008 / [To be Determined] |
| 2005–2006 | 109th Congress | Session 1: JAN 4, 2005 / DEC 22, 2005 Session 2: JAN 3, 2006 / DEC 8, 2006 |
| 2003–2004 | 108th Congress | Session 1: JAN 7, 2003 / DEC 9, 2003 Session 2: JAN 20, 2004 / DEC 8, 2004 |
| 2001–2002 | 107th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 2001 / DEC 20, 2001 Session 2: JAN 23, 2002 / NOV 22, 2002 |
| 1999–2000 | 106th Congress | Session 1: JAN 6, 1999 /
NOV 22, 1999 Session 2: JAN 24, 2000 / DEC 15, 2000 |
| 1997–1998 | 105th Congress | Session 1: JAN 7, 1997 / NOV 13, 1997 Session 2: JAN 27, 1998 / DEC 19, 1998 |
| 1995–1996 | 104th Congress | Session 1: JAN 4, 1995 / JAN 3, 1996 Session 2: JAN 3, 1996 / OCT 4, 1996 |
| 1993–1994 | 103rd Congress | Session 1: JAN 5, 1993 / NOV 26, 1993 Session 2: JAN 25, 1994 / DEC 1, 1994 |
| 1991–1992 | 102nd Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1991 / JAN 3, 1992 Session 2: JAN 3, 1992 / OCT 9, 1992 |
| 1989–1990 | 101st Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1989 / NOV 22, 1989 Session 2: JAN 23, 1990 / OCT 28, 1990 |
| 1987–1988 | 100th Congress | Session 1: JAN 6, 1987 / DEC 22, 1987 Session 2: JAN 25, 1988 / OCT 22, 1988 |
| 1985–1986 | 99th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1985 / DEC 20, 1985 Session 2: JAN 21, 1986 / OCT 18, 1986 |
| 1983–1984 | 98th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1983 / NOV 18, 1983 Session 2: JAN 23, 1984 / OCT 12, 1984 |
| 1981–1982 | 97th Congress | Session 1: JAN 5, 1981 / DEC 16, 1981 Session 2: JAN 25, 1982 / DEC 23, 1982 |
| 1979–1980 | 96th Congress | Session 1: JAN 15, 1979 / JAN 3, 1980 Session 2: JAN 3, 1980 / DEC 16, 1980 |
| 1977–1978 | 95th Congress | Session 1: JAN 4, 1977 / DEC 15, 1977 Session 2: JAN 19, 1978 / OCT 15, 1978 |
| 1975–1976 | 94th Congress | Session 1: JAN 14, 1975 / DEC 19, 1975 Session 2: JAN 19, 1976 / OCT 1, 1976 |
| 1973–1974 | 93rd Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1973 / DEC 22, 1973 Session 2: JAN 21, 1974 / DEC 20, 1974 |
| 1971–1972 | 92nd Congress | Session 1: JAN 21, 1971 / DEC 17, 1971 Session 2: JAN 18, 1972 / OCT 18, 1972 |
| 1969–1970 | 91st Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1969 / DEC 23, 1969 Session 2: JAN 19, 1970 / JAN 2, 1971 |
| 1967–1968 | 90th Congress | Session 1: JAN 10, 1967 / DEC 15, 1967 Session 2: JAN 15, 1968 / OCT 14, 1968 |
| 1965–1966 | 89th Congress | Session 1: JAN 4, 1965 / OCT 23, 1965 Session 2: JAN 10, 1966 / OCT 22, 1966 |
| 1963–1964 | 88th Congress | Session 1: JAN 9, 1963 / DEC 30, 1963 Session 2: JAN 7, 1964 / OCT 3, 1964 |
| 1961–1962 | 87th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1961 / SEP 27, 1961 Session 2: JAN 10, 1962 / OCT 13, 1962 |
| 1959–1960 | 86th Congress | Session 1: JAN 7, 1959 / SEP 15, 1959 Session 2: JAN 6, 1960 / SEP 1, 1960 |
| 1957–1958 | 85th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1957 / AUG 30, 1957 Session 2: JAN 7, 1958 / AUG 24, 1958 |
| 1955–1956 | 84th Congress | Session 1: JAN 5, 1955 / AUG 2, 1955 Session 2: JAN 3, 1956 / JUL 27, 1956 |
| 1953–1954 | 83rd Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1953 / AUG 3, 1953 Session 2: JAN 6, 1954 / DEC 2, 1954 |
| 1951–1952 | 82nd Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1951 / OCT 20, 1951 Session 2: JAN 8, 1952 / JUL 7, 1952 |
| 1949–1950 | 81st Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1949 / OCT 19, 1949 Session 2: JAN 3, 1950 / JAN 2, 1951 |
| 1947–1948 | 80th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1947 / DEC 19, 1947 Session 2: JAN 6, 1948 / DEC 31, 1948 |
| 1945–1946 | 79th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1945 / DEC 21, 1945 Session 2: JAN 14, 1946 / AUG 2, 1946 |
| 1943–1944 | 78th Congress | Session 1: JAN 6, 1943 / DEC 21, 1943 Session 2: JAN 10, 1944 / DEC 19, 1944 |
| 1941–1942 | 77th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1941 / JAN 2, 1942 Session 2: JAN 5, 1942 / DEC 16, 1942 |
| 1939–1940 | 76th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1939 / AUG 5, 1939 Session 2: SEP 21, 1939 / NOV 3, 1939 Session 3: JAN 3, 1940 / JAN 3, 1941 |
| 1937–1938 | 75th Congress | Session 1: JAN 5, 1937 / AUG 21, 1937 Session 2: NOV 15, 1937 / DEC 21, 1937 Session 3: JAN 3, 1938 / JUN 16, 1938 |
| 1935–1936 | 74th Congress | Session 1: JAN 3, 1935 / AUG 26, 1935 Session 2: JAN 3, 1936 / JUN 20, 1936 |
| 1933–1934 | 73rd Congress | Session 1: MAR 9, 1933 / JUN 15, 1933 Session 2: JAN 3, 1934 / JUN 18, 1934 |
| 1931–1932 | 72nd Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1931 / JUL 16, 1932 Session 2: DEC 5, 1932 / MAR 3, 1933 |
| 1929–1930 | 71st Congress | Session 1: APR 15, 1929 / NOV 22, 1929 Session 2: DEC 2, 1929 / JUL 3, 1930 Session 3: DEC 1, 1930 / MAR 3, 1931 |
| 1927–1928 | 70th Congress | Session 1: DEC 5, 1927 / MAY 29, 1928 Session 2: DEC 3, 1928 / MAR 3, 1929 |
| 1925–1926 | 69th Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1925 / JUL 3, 1926 Session 2: DEC 6, 1926 / MAR 4, 1927 |
| 1923–1924 | 68th Congress | Session 1: DEC 3, 1923 / JUN 7, 1924 Session 2: DEC 1, 1924 / MAR 3, 1925 |
| 1921–1922 | 67th Congress | Session 1: APR 11, 1921 / NOV 23, 1921 Session 2: DEC 5, 1921 / SEP 22, 1922 Session 3: NOV 20, 1922 / DEC 4, 1922 Session 4: DEC 4, 1922 / MAR 3, 1923 |
| 1919–1920 | 66th Congress | Session 1: MAY 19, 1919 / NOV 19, 1919 Session 2: DEC 1, 1919 / JUN 5, 1920 Session 3: DEC 6, 1920 / MAR 3, 1921 |
| 1917–1918 | 65th Congress | Session 1: APR 2, 1917 / OCT 6, 1917 Session 2: DEC 3, 1917 / NOV 21, 1918 Session 3: DEC 2, 1918 / MAR 3, 1919 |
| 1915–1916 | 64th Congress | Session 1: DEC 6, 1915 / SEP 8, 1916 Session 2: DEC 4, 1916 / MAR 3, 1917 |
| 1913–1914 | 63rd Congress | Session 1: APR 7, 1913 / DEC 1, 1913 Session 2: DEC 1, 1913 / OCT 24, 1914 Session 3: DEC 7, 1914 / MAR 3, 1915 |
| 1911–1912 | 62nd Congress | Session 1: APR 4, 1911 / AUG 22, 1911 Session 2: DEC 4, 1911 / AUG 26, 1912 Session 3: DEC 2, 1912 / MAR 3, 1913 |
| 1909–1910 | 61st Congress | Session 1: MAR 15, 1909 / AUG 5, 1909 Session 2: DEC 6, 1909 / JUN 25, 1910 Session 3: DEC 5, 1910 / MAR 3, 1911 |
| 1907–1908 | 60th Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1907 / MAY 30, 1908 Session 2: DEC 7, 1908 / MAR 3, 1909 |
| 1905–1906 | 59th Congress | Session 1: DEC 4, 1905 / JUN 30, 1906 Session 2: DEC 3, 1906 / MAR 3, 1907 |
| 1903–1904 | 58th Congress | Session 1: NOV 9, 1903 / DEC 7, 1903 Session 2: DEC 7, 1903 / APR 28, 1904 Session 3: DEC 5, 1904 / MAR 3, 1905 |
| 1901–1902 | 57th Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1901 / JUL 1, 1902 Session 2: DEC 1, 1902 / MAR 3, 1903 |
| 1899–1900 | 56th Congress | Session 1: DEC 4, 1899 / JUN 7, 1900 Session 2: DEC 3, 1900 / MAR 3, 1901 |
| 1897–1898 | 55th Congress | Session 1: MAR 15, 1897 / JUL 24, 1897 Session 2: DEC 6, 1897 / JUL 8, 1898 Session 3: DEC 5, 1898 / MAR 3, 1899 |
| 1895–1896 | 54th Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1895 / JUN 11, 1896 Session 2: DEC 7, 1896 / MAR 3, 1897 |
| 1893–1894 | 53rd Congress | Session 1: AUG 7, 1893 / NOV 3, 1893 Session 2: DEC 4, 1893 / AUG 28, 1894 Session 3: DEC 3, 1894 / MAR 3, 1895 |
| 1891–1892 | 52nd Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1891 / AUG 5, 1892 Session 2: DEC 5, 1892 / MAR 3, 1893 |
| 1889–1890 | 51st Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1889 / OCT 1, 1890 Session 2: DEC 1, 1890 / MAR 3, 1891 |
| 1887–1888 | 50th Congress | Session 1: DEC 5, 1887 / OCT 20, 1888 Session 2: DEC 3, 1888 / MAR 3, 1889 |
| 1885–1886 | 49th Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1885 / AUG 5, 1886 Session 2: DEC 6,1886 / MAR 3, 1887 |
| 1883–1884 | 48th Congress | Session 1: DEC 3, 1883 / JUL 7, 1884 Session 2: DEC 1, 1884 / MAR 3, 1885 |
| 1881–1882 | 47th Congress | Session 1: DEC 5, 1881 / AUG 8, 1882 Session 2: DEC 4, 1882 / MAR 3, 1883 |
| 1879–1880 | 46th Congress | Session 1: MAR 18, 1979 / JUL 1, 1879 Session 2: DEC 1, 1879 / JUN 16, 1880 Session 3: DEC 6, 1880 / MAR 3, 1881 |
| 1877–1878 | 45th Congress | Session 1: OCT 15, 1877 / DEC 3, 1877 Session 2: DEC 3, 1877 / JUN 20, 1878 Session 3: DEC 2, 1878 / MAR 3, 1879 |
| 1875–1876 | 44th Congress | Session 1: DEC 6, 1875 / AUG 15, 1876 Session 2: DEC 4, 1876 / MAR 3, 1877 |
| 1873–1874 | 43rd Congress | Session 1: DEC 1, 1873 / JUN 23, 1874 Session 2: DEC 7, 1874 / MAR 3, 1875 |
| 1871–1872 | 42nd Congress | Session 1: MAR 4, 1871 / APR 20, 1871 Session 2: DEC 4, 1871 / JUN 10, 1872 Session 3: DEC 2, 1872 / MAR 3, 1873 |
| 1869–1870 | 41st Congress | Session 1: MAR 4, 1869 / APR 10, 1869 Session 2: DEC 6, 1869 / JUL 15, 1870 Session 3: DEC 5, 1870 / MAR 3, 1871 |
| 1867–1868 | 40th Congress | Session 1: MAR 4, 1867 / DEC 1, 1867 Session 2: DEC 2, 1867 / NOV 10, 1868 Session 3: DEC 7, 1868 / MAR 3, 1869 |
| 1865–1866 | 39th Congress | Session 1: DEC 4, 1865 / JUL 28, 1866 Session 2: DEC 3, 1866 / MAR 3, 1867 |
| 1863–1864 | 38th Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1863 / JUL 4, 1864 Session 2: DEC 5, 1864 / MAR 3, 1865 |
| 1861–1862 | 37th Congress | Session 1: JUL 4, 1861 / AUG 6, 1861 Session 2: DEC 2, 1861 / JUL 17, 1862 Session 3: DEC 1, 1862 / MAR 3, 1863 |
| 1859–1860 | 36th Congress | Session 1: DEC 5, 1859 / JUN 25, 1860 Session 2: DEC 3, 1860 /MAR 3, 1861 |
| 1857–1858 | 35th Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1857 / JUN 14, 1858 Session 2: DEC 6, 1858 / MAR 3, 1859 |
| 1855–1856 | 34th Congress | Session 1: DEC 3, 1855 / AUG 18, 1856 Session 2: AUG 21, 1856 / AUG 30, 1856 Session 3: DEC 1, 1856 / MAR 3, 1857 |
| 1853–1854 | 33rd Congress | Session 1: DEC 5, 1853 / AUG 7, 1854 Session 2: DEC 4, 1854 / MAR 3, 1855 |
| 1851–1852 | 32nd Congress | Session 1: DEC 1, 1851 / AUG 31, 1852 Session 2: DEC 6, 1852 / MAR 3, 1853 |
| 1849–1850 | 31st Congress | Session 1: DEC 3, 1849 / SEP 30, 1850 Session 2: DEC 2, 1850 / MAR 3, 1851 |
| 1847–1848 | 30th Congress | Session 1: DEC 6, 1847 / AUG 14, 1848 Session 2: DEC 4, 1848 / MAR 3, 1849 |
| 1845–1846 | 29th Congress | Session 1: DEC 1, 1845 / AUG 10, 1846 Session 2: DEC 7, 1846 / MAR 3, 1847 |
| 1843–1844 | 28th Congress | Session 1: DEC 4, 1843 / JUN 17, 1844 Session 2: DEC 2, 1844 / MAR 3, 1845 |
| 1841–1842 | 27th Congress | Session 1: MAY 31, 1841 / SEP 13, 1841 Session 2: DEC 6, 1841 / AUG 31, 1842 Session 3: DEC 5, 1842 / MAR 3, 1843 |
| 1839–1840 | 26th Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1839 / JUL 21, 1840 Session 2: DEC 7, 1840 / MAR 3, 1841 |
| 1837–1838 | 25th Congress | Session 1: SEP 4, 1837 / OCT 16, 1837 Session 2: DEC 4, 1837 / JUL 9, 1838 Session 3: DEC 3, 1838 / MAR 3, 1839 |
| 1835–1836 | 24th Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1835 / JUL 4, 1836 Session 2: DEC 5, 1836 / MAR 3, 1837 |
| 1833–1834 | 23rd Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1833 / JUN 30, 1834 Session 2: DEC 1, 1834 / MAR 3, 1835 |
| 1831–1832 | 22nd Congress | Session 1: DEC 5, 1831 / JUL 16, 1832 Session 2: DEC 3, 1832 / MAR 2, 1833 |
| 1829–1830 | 21st Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1829 / MAY 31, 1830 Session 2: DEC 6, 1830 / MAR 3, 1831 |
| 1827–1828 | 20th Congress | Session 1: DEC 3, 1827 / MAY 26, 1828 Session 2: DEC 1, 1828 / MAR 3, 1829 |
| 1825–1826 | 19th Congress | Session 1: DEC 5, 1825 / MAY 22, 1826 Session 2: DEC 4, 1826 / MAR 3, 1827 |
| 1823–1824 | 18th Congress | Session 1: DEC 1, 1823 / MAY 27, 1824 Session 2: DEC 6, 1824 / MAR 3, 1825 |
| 1821–1822 | 17th Congress | Session 1: DEC 3, 1821 / MAY 8, 1822 Session 2: DEC 2, 1822 / MAR 3, 1823 |
| 1819–1820 | 16th Congress | Session 1: DEC 6, 1819 / MAY 15, 1820 Session 2: NOV 13, 1820 / MAR 3, 1821 |
| 1817–1818 | 15th Congress | Session 1: DEC 1, 1817 / APR 20, 1818 Session 2: NOV 16, 1818 / MAR 3, 1819 |
| 1815–1816 | 14th Congress | Session 1: DEC 4, 1815 / APR 30, 1816 Session 2: DEC 2, 1816 / MAR 3, 1817 |
| 1813–1814 | 13th Congress | Session 1: MAY 24, 1813 / AUG 2, 1813 Session 2: DEC 6, 1813 / APR 18, 1814 Session 3: SEP 19, 1814 / MAR 3, 1815 |
| 1811–1812 | 12th Congress | Session 1: NOV 4, 1811 / JUL 6, 1812 Session 2: NOV 2, 1812 / MAR 3, 1813 |
| 1809–1810 | 11th Congress | Session 1: MAY 22, 1809 / JUN 28, 1809 Session 2: NOV 27, 1809 / MAY 1, 1810 Session 3: DEC 3, 1810 / MAR 3, 1811 |
| 1807–1808 | 10th Congress | Session 1: OCT 26, 1807 / APR 25, 1808 Session 2: NOV 7, 1808 / MAR 3, 1809 |
| 1805–1806 | 9th Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1805 / APR 21, 1806 Session 2: DEC 1, 1806 / MAR 3, 1807 |
| 1803–1804 | 8th Congress | Session 1: OCT 17, 1803 / MAR 27, 1804 Session 2: NOV 5, 1804 / MAR 3, 1805 |
| 1801–1802 | 7th Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1801 / MAY 3, 1802 Session 2: DEC 6, 1802 / MAR 3, 1803 |
| 1799–1800 | 6th Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1799 / MAY 14, 1800 Session 2: NOV 17, 1800 / MAR 3, 1801 |
| 1797–1799 | 5th Congress | Session 1: MAY 15, 1797 / JUL 10, 1797 Session 2: NOV 13, 1797 / JUL 16, 1798 Session 3: DEC 3, 1798 / MAR 3, 1799 |
| 1796 | 4th Congress | Session 1: DEC 7, 1795 / JUN 1, 1796 Session 2: DEC 5, 1796 / MAR 3, 1797 |
| 1794–1795 | 3rd Congress | Session 1: DEC 2, 1793 / JUN 9, 1794 Session 2: NOV 3, 1794 / MAR 3, 1795 |
| 1791–1793 | 2nd Congress | Session 1: OCT 24, 1791 / MAY 8, 1792 Session 2: NOV 5, 1792 / MAR 2, 1793 |
| 1789–1791 | 1st Congress | Session 1: MAR 4, 1789 / Sep 29, 1789 Session 2: JAN 4, 1790 / AUG 12, 1790 Session 3: DEC 6, 1790 / MAR 3, 1791 |