1789
Richard Bassett, one of Delaware’s first two senators, took his seat in the U.S. Senate, which was meeting at Federal Hall in New York City. The Senate had convened on March 4, but because only eight senators were present, there were not enough to constitute a quorum. The body was forced to adjourn each day until April 6, when it achieved its first quorum of 12 members, out of the eligible 22.
1789
George Read, Delaware’s second senator, presented his credentials to the Senate and took his seat.
1789
The senators drew lots to determine the three classes of senators. George Read was assigned to Class 1 (with a two-year term to expire in 1791), while Richard Bassett was assigned to Class 2 (with a four-year term to expire in 1793).
1794
By a vote of 20 to 7, the Senate refused to seat Kensey Johns. Johns had been appointed by Delaware governor Joshua Clayton after the state legislature proved unable to agree upon a replacement for Senator George Read, who had resigned. In refusing to seat Johns, the Senate agreed that Governor Clayton had violated a constitutional provision that restricted gubernatorial appointments to periods when state legislatures were in recess.
1804
James A. Bayard Sr. of Wilmington became the first of five Bayards to represent Delaware in the Senate.
1815
The Senate unanimously approved the Treaty of Ghent, the peace treaty ending the War of 1812. Delaware senator James A. Bayard Sr. was among the American commission that negotiated the treaty.
1833
John M. Clayton of Dover became chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, a position he held until 1836.
1857
James A. Bayard Jr. of Wilmington became chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, a position he held until 1861.
1864
Senator James A. Bayard Jr. resigned his seat in protest of the Test Oath, which required senators to swear not only to future loyalty but also to affirm that they had never previously engaged in disloyal conduct.
1870
Seth Eastman accepted a commission to paint a series of 17 canvases depicting army forts, including Fort Delaware, Delaware.
1871
The Delaware legislature elected Eli Saulsbury of Dover to replace his brother, Willard, in the U.S. Senate. Willard Saulsbury had been poised for reelection to his Senate seat when he found himself in a three-way race against his two elder brothers, Gove and Eli.
1879
Thomas F. Bayard Sr. of Wilmington became chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, a position he held until 1881.
1896
The Senate resolved the contested election of Henry A. du Pont of Winterthur, voting against his seating. Du Pont filed a second petition in January 1897, which the Committee on Privileges and Elections reported on unfavorably in March. The Class 2 Senate seat remained vacant from March 4, 1895 to January 18, 1897. Du Pont was subsequently elected to the Senate by the state legislature in 1906.
1897
A petition was submitted on behalf of John E. Addicks, who claimed to have been legally elected by the state legislature and contested the right of Senator Richard R. Kenney to his seat. The Senate referred the petition to the Committee on Privileges and Elections, but the committee issued no report and Senate took no further action on the matter.
1898
Senator Henry A. du Pont received the Congressional Medal of Honor for "his distinguished gallantry, and voluntary exposure to the enemy's fire at a critical moment [during the Civil War], when the Union line had been broken, encouraged his men to stand to their guns, checked the advance of the enemy, and brought off most of his pieces."
1899
The state legislature was unable to agree on a candidate for the Class 1 Senate seat, which remained vacant until 1903. In 1901, the legislature failed to elect a successor for the Class 2 seat. Delaware remained unrepresented in the U.S. Senate from March 4, 1901 until March 1, 1903.
1910
Senator Henry A. du Pont arranged for the appointment of a local Capitol Hill newsboy, J. Franklin Little, to be a Senate page. More than 70 years later, Little shared his reminiscences of events in his life as a page with the Senate Historical Office.
1911
Senator Henry A. du Pont became chairman of the Senate Committee on Military Affairs (precursor to today's Armed Services Committee), a position he held until 1913.
1913
Senator Willard Saulsbury Jr. of Wilmington became secretary of the Democratic Conference, a position he held until 1916.
1916
Josiah O. Wolcott of Dover became Delaware’s first directly elected senator after the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1913.
1916
The Joint Committee on the Library accepted portraits of James and Henry Latimer of Newport by Delaware artist Clawson Hammitt. In 1787 James Latimer presided over Delaware’s convention to ratify the Constitution. Henry Latimer, the son of James Latimer, served in the Senate from 1795 until 1801.
1934
Congress accepted statues of Caesar Rodney of Dover and John Middleton Clayton of Dover, Delaware’s two contributions to the National Statuary Hall Collection. Both marble statues are the work of sculptor Bryant Baker.
1946
The Senate passed by unanimous consent a bill authorizing the State of Delaware to construct, maintain, and operate a toll bridge across the Delaware River, now known as the Delaware Memorial Bridge, near Wilmington. The president signed the act on July 13, 1946.
1981
William V. Roth Jr. of Wilmington became chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs (today's Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs), a position he held until 1987, and again in 1995.
1987
Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Wilmington became chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, a position he held until 1995.
1994
William V. Roth Jr. became Delaware's longest-serving senator at the time, with 23 years, 11 months, and 30 days in office. He surpassed John J. Williams of Millsboro. Roth ended his Senate career having served for 30 years and 2 days.
1995
Howard O. Greene of Delaware was chosen to be the Senate’s sergeant at arms, a position he held until September 6, 1996.
1995
William V. Roth Jr. became chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, a position he held until 2001.
2001
Joseph R. Biden Jr. became chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, a position he held until January 20, 2001. Biden chaired the committee again from June 2001 to January 3, 2003, and again in 2007.
2002
Senator Tom Carper of Wilmington received the Golden Gavel Award for presiding over the Senate for 100 hours in a single session.
2003
Joseph R. Biden Jr. became Delaware's longest-serving senator, surpassing Bill Roth's record of 30 years, 2 days. Senator Biden went on to serve a total of 36 years and 13 days.
2008
Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. was nominated for vice president of the United States on the ticket with fellow senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Biden and Obama won the election in November 2008 and were inaugurated on January 20, 2009. They were reelected in 2012 and served until January 20, 2017.
2009
Senator Ted Kaufman of Wilmington received the Golden Gavel Award for presiding over the Senate for 100 hours in a single session..
2013
Tom Carper became chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, serving until 2015.
2016
Christopher Coons of Wilmington delivered George Washington's Farewell Address on the floor of the Senate, a tradition dating to 1862.
2020
Joseph R. Biden Jr. won election as the 46th president of the United States. He was inaugurated on January 20, 2021, along with his vice president, former California senator Kamala Harris.
2021
Senator Tom Carper became chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, a position he held until January 7, 2023.
2021
Senator Christopher Coons became chairman of the Select Committee on Ethics, a position he held until January 7, 2025.
2025
Lisa Blunt Rochester of Wilmington became the first woman and the first African American to represent Delaware in the U.S. Senate.
