List of presidents of the United States by age
This is a list of United States Presidents by age. This table can be sorted to display United States Presidents by name, order of office, date of birth, age at inauguration, length of retirement, or lifespan. Age at inauguration is determined by the day a president assumed office, not the day of the election.
Two measures of longevity are given; this is to allow for the differing number of leap days occurring within the life of each President. The first figure is the number of days between date of birth and date of death, allowing for leap days; in parentheses the same period given in years and days, with the years being the number of whole years that the President lived, and the days being the remaining number of days after his last birthday. Where the president in question is still living, the longevity is calculated up to October 9, 2024.
Overview
The median age of accession is roughly 54 years and 11 months, which falls between Herbert Hoover (22nd youngest) and Lyndon B. Johnson (23rd). The youngest person to assume office was Theodore Roosevelt (age 42), who became president following William McKinley's assassination. The youngest president elected to office was John F. Kennedy (age 43 years, 236 days). The oldest president to assume office was Ronald Reagan (age 69 years, 349 days).
The oldest living former president is George H. W. Bush, born June 12, 1924 (aged 100 years, 119 days). Jimmy Carter is the second-oldest, only 111 days younger than Bush. Carter was born October 1, 1924 (aged 100 years, 8 days). The youngest living former president is Bill Clinton, born August 19, 1946 (aged 78 years, 51 days), closely followed by George W. Bush, only 44 days older, born July 6, 1946 (aged 78 years, 95 days). The youngest living president is the incumbent, Barack Obama, born August 4, 1961 (aged 63 years, 66 days).
The longest-lived president was Gerald Ford, who died at the age of 93 years and 165 days. Ronald Reagan was the second longest-lived, only 45 days short of Ford. The oldest living president, George H. W. Bush, will tie Reagan if he lives to October 10, 2017 and tie Ford if he lives to November 24, 2017. The second oldest living president, Jimmy Carter, will tie Reagan if he lives to January 29, 2018 and tie Ford if he lives to March 15, 2018. The shortest-lived president was John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated at the age of 46 years and 177 days. The shortest-lived president to die a natural death was James K. Polk, who died at the age of 53 years and 225 days. Since the presidency began, the longest period of time without the death of a president has been 26 years, 21 days between the death of George Washington and the same-day deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.
The president with the longest retirement is Jimmy Carter, at 15,968 days. Carter achieved this record on September 8, 2012. The president with the second-longest retirement is Herbert Hoover, who died 11,553 days after leaving the presidency. Hoover held the record for more than 54 years, from July 5, 1958, when he surpassed John Adams, until September 8, 2012, when Carter surpassed Hoover. The president with the shortest retirement was James K. Polk, who died 103 days after leaving the presidency.
Barack Obama became the fifth-youngest person inaugurated as president, at 47 years and 169 days old. Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, and Ulysses S. Grant, in that order, were younger than Obama when they took the oath of office; Grover Cleveland was about six months older (see table below).
List of Presidents
# |
President |
Date of birth |
Date of inauguration |
Age at inauguration |
End date of presidency |
Length of retirement |
Date of death |
Lifespan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Washington | [1] | February 22, 1732April 30, 1789 | 57 years, 67 days | March 4, 1797 | 1,015 days | December 14, 1799 | 24,767 days (67 years, 295 days) |
2 | John Adams | [1] | October 30, 1735March 4, 1797 | 61 years, 125 days | March 4, 1801 | 9,253 days | July 4, 1826 | 33,119 days (90 years, 247 days) |
3 | Thomas Jefferson | [1] | April 13, 1743March 4, 1801 | 57 years, 325 days | March 4, 1809 | 6,331 days | July 4, 1826 | 30,397 days (83 years, 82 days) |
4 | James Madison | [1] | March 16, 1751March 4, 1809 | 57 years, 353 days | March 4, 1817 | 7,056 days | June 28, 1836 | 31,150 days (85 years, 104 days) |
5 | James Monroe | April 28, 1758 | March 4, 1817 | 58 years, 310 days | March 4, 1825 | 2,313 days | July 4, 1831 | 26,729 days (73 years, 67 days) |
6 | John Quincy Adams | July 11, 1767 | March 4, 1825 | 57 years, 236 days | March 4, 1829 | 6,930 days | February 23, 1848 | 29,446 days (80 years, 227 days) |
7 | Andrew Jackson | March 15, 1767 | March 4, 1829 | 61 years, 354 days | March 4, 1837 | 3,018 days | June 8, 1845 | 28,574 days (78 years, 85 days) |
8 | Martin Van Buren | December 5, 1782 | March 4, 1837 | 54 years, 89 days | March 4, 1841 | 7,812 days | July 24, 1862 | 29,085 days (79 years, 231 days) |
9 | William Henry Harrison | February 9, 1773 | March 4, 1841 | 68 years, 23 days | April 4, 1841 | [2] | N/AApril 4, 1841 | 24,890 days (68 years, 54 days) |
10 | John Tyler | March 29, 1790 | April 4, 1841 | 51 years, 6 days | March 4, 1845 | 6,164 days | January 18, 1862 | 26,227 days (71 years, 295 days) |
11 | James K. Polk | November 2, 1795 | March 4, 1845 | 49 years, 122 days | March 4, 1849 | 103 days | June 15, 1849 | 19,583 days (53 years, 225 days) |
12 | Zachary Taylor | November 24, 1784 | March 4, 1849 | 64 years, 100 days | July 9, 1850 | [2] | N/AJuly 9, 1850 | 23,967 days (65 years, 227 days) |
13 | Millard Fillmore | January 7, 1800 | July 9, 1850 | 50 years, 183 days | March 4, 1853 | 7,674 days | March 8, 1874 | 27,088 days (74 years, 60 days) |
14 | Franklin Pierce | November 23, 1804 | March 4, 1853 | 48 years, 101 days | March 4, 1857 | 4,601 days | October 8, 1869 | 23,695 days (64 years, 319 days) |
15 | James Buchanan | April 23, 1791 | March 4, 1857 | 65 years, 315 days | March 4, 1861 | 2,646 days | June 1, 1868 | 28,163 days (77 years, 39 days) |
16 | Abraham Lincoln | February 12, 1809 | March 4, 1861 | 52 years, 20 days | April 15, 1865 | [3] | N/AApril 15, 1865 | 20,516 days (56 years, 62 days) |
17 | Andrew Johnson | December 29, 1808 | April 15, 1865 | 56 years, 107 days | March 4, 1869 | 2,340 days | July 31, 1875 | 24,320 days (66 years, 214 days) |
18 | Ulysses S. Grant | April 27, 1822 | March 4, 1869 | 46 years, 311 days | March 4, 1877 | 3,063 days | July 23, 1885 | 23,098 days (63 years, 87 days) |
19 | Rutherford B. Hayes | October 4, 1822 | March 4, 1877 | 54 years, 151 days | March 4, 1881 | 4,337 days | January 17, 1893 | 25,673 days (70 years, 105 days) |
20 | James A. Garfield | November 19, 1831 | March 4, 1881 | 49 years, 105 days | September 19, 1881 | [3] | N/ASeptember 19, 1881 | 18,202 days (49 years, 304 days) |
21 | Chester A. Arthur | October 5, 1829 | September 19, 1881 | 51 years, 349 days | March 4, 1885 | 624 days | November 18, 1886 | 20,863 days (57 years, 44 days) |
22 | Grover Cleveland | March 18, 1837 | March 4, 1885[4] | 47 years, 351 days | March 4, 1889 | [5] | 5,590 daysJune 24, 1908 | 26,030 days (71 years, 98 days) |
23 | Benjamin Harrison | August 20, 1833 | March 4, 1889 | 55 years, 196 days | March 4, 1893 | 2,930 days | March 13, 1901 | 24,676 days (67 years, 205 days) |
24 | Grover Cleveland | March 18, 1837 | March 4, 1893[4] | 55 years, 351 days | March 4, 1897 | [5] | 5,590 daysJune 24, 1908 | 26,030 days (71 years, 98 days) |
25 | William McKinley | January 29, 1843 | March 4, 1897 | 54 years, 34 days | September 14, 1901 | [3] | N/ASeptember 14, 1901 | 21,412 days (58 years, 228 days) |
26 | Theodore Roosevelt | October 27, 1858 | September 14, 1901 | 42 years, 322 days | March 4, 1909 | 3,595 days | January 6, 1919 | 21,985 days (60 years, 71 days) |
27 | William Howard Taft | September 15, 1857 | March 4, 1909 | 51 years, 170 days | March 4, 1913 | 6,213 days | March 8, 1930 | 26,471 days (72 years, 174 days) |
28 | Woodrow Wilson | December 28, 1856 | March 4, 1913 | 56 years, 66 days | March 4, 1921 | 1,066 days | February 3, 1924 | 24,507 days (67 years, 37 days) |
29 | Warren G. Harding | November 2, 1865 | March 4, 1921 | 55 years, 122 days | August 2, 1923 | [2] | N/AAugust 2, 1923 | 21,091 days (57 years, 273 days) |
30 | Calvin Coolidge | July 4, 1872 | August 2, 1923 | 51 years, 29 days | March 4, 1929 | 1,403 days | January 5, 1933 | 22,099 days (60 years, 185 days) |
31 | Herbert Hoover | August 10, 1874 | March 4, 1929 | 54 years, 206 days | March 4, 1933 | 11,553 days | October 20, 1964 | 32,943 days (90 years, 71 days) |
32 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | January 30, 1882 | March 4, 1933 | 51 years, 33 days | April 12, 1945 | [2] | N/AApril 12, 1945 | 23,082 days (63 years, 72 days) |
33 | Harry S. Truman | May 8, 1884 | April 12, 1945 | 60 years, 339 days | January 20, 1953 | 7,280 days | December 26, 1972 | 32,373 days (88 years, 232 days) |
34 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | October 14, 1890 | January 20, 1953 | 62 years, 98 days | January 20, 1961 | 2,989 days | March 28, 1969 | 28,654 days (78 years, 165 days) |
35 | John F. Kennedy | May 29, 1917 | January 20, 1961 | 43 years, 236 days | November 22, 1963 | [3] | N/ANovember 22, 1963 | 16,978 days (46 years, 177 days) |
36 | Lyndon B. Johnson | August 27, 1908 | November 22, 1963 | 55 years, 87 days | January 20, 1969 | 1,463 days | January 22, 1973 | 23,524 days (64 years, 148 days) |
37 | Richard Nixon | January 9, 1913 | January 20, 1969 | 56 years, 11 days | August 9, 1974[6] | 7,196 days | April 22, 1994 | 29,688 days (81 years, 103 days) |
38 | Gerald Ford | July 14, 1913 | August 9, 1974 | 61 years, 26 days | January 20, 1977 | 10,932 days | December 26, 2006 | 34,133 days (93 years, 165 days) |
39 | Jimmy Carter | October 1, 1924 | January 20, 1977 | 52 years, 111 days | January 20, 1981 | 15,968 days | 36,533 days (100 years, 8 days) | |
40 | Ronald Reagan | February 6, 1911 | January 20, 1981 | 69 years, 349 days | January 20, 1989 | 5,615 days | June 5, 2004 | 34,088 days (93 years, 120 days) |
41 | George H. W. Bush | June 12, 1924 | January 20, 1989 | 64 years, 222 days | January 20, 1993 | 11,585 days | 36,644 days (100 years, 119 days) | |
42 | Bill Clinton | August 19, 1946 | January 20, 1993 | 46 years, 154 days | January 20, 2001 | 8,663 days | 28,541 days (78 years, 51 days) | |
43 | George W. Bush | July 6, 1946 | January 20, 2001 | 54 years, 198 days | January 20, 2009 | 5,741 days | 28,585 days (78 years, 95 days) | |
44 | Barack Obama | August 4, 1961 | January 20, 2009 | 47 years, 169 days | Incumbent | 23,077 days (63 years, 66 days) | ||
# | President | Date of birth | Date of inauguration |
Age at inauguration |
End date of presidency |
Length of retirement |
Date of death | Lifespan |
- ^ a b c d Birthdate as changed to New Style.
- ^ a b c d Died in office (not assassinated).
- ^ a b c d Assassinated.
- ^ a b Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms, which are listed separately.
- ^ a b Cleveland was a former president for 4 years after his first term plus another 11 years after his second term.
- ^ Nixon resigned on this date.
Oldest living United States Presidents
Not all presidents live to become the oldest of their time; so far approximately 60% have done so, with 19 presidents never becoming the oldest of their time. Herbert Hoover became the oldest living president when Calvin Coolidge died in 1933 (when Hoover was still president) and remained so until his death, for a record of more than 31 years. Lyndon B. Johnson became the oldest living president after the death of Harry S. Truman, but he outlived Truman for only 27 days. When Johnson died, the sitting president, Richard Nixon, became the oldest living president since there were no former presidents alive at the time (the first time this had occurred since John Adams was president in the early days of the nation). Another special case was William Howard Taft, who was the oldest living president twice: first during his presidency (i.e. he replaced someone younger than himself), and a second time when his successor as president, Woodrow Wilson, died.
President | Start Date | Date of Death | Age at Start Date | Age at Death | Duration (Years, Days) | Duration (Days) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
George Washington | April 30, 1789 | December 14, 1799 | 57 years, 67 days | 67 years, 295 days | 10 years, 228 days | 3,880 days |
John Adams | December 14, 1799 | July 4, 1826 | 64 years, 45 days | 90 years, 247 days | 26 years, 202 days | 9,698 days |
James Madison | July 4, 1826 | June 28, 1836 | 75 years, 110 days | 85 years, 104 days | 9 years, 360 days | 3,647 days |
Andrew Jackson | June 28, 1836 | June 8, 1845 | 69 years, 105 days | 78 years, 85 days | 8 years, 345 days | 3,267 days |
John Quincy Adams | June 8, 1845 | February 23, 1848 | 77 years, 332 days | 80 years, 227 days | 2 years, 260 days | 990 days |
Martin Van Buren | February 23, 1848 | July 24, 1862 | 65 years, 80 days | 79 years, 231 days | 14 years, 151 days | 5,265 days |
James Buchanan | July 24, 1862 | June 1, 1868 | 71 years, 92 days | 77 years, 39 days | 5 years, 313 days | 2,139 days |
Millard Fillmore | June 1, 1868 | March 8, 1874 | 68 years, 146 days | 74 years, 60 days | 5 years, 280 days | 2,106 days |
Andrew Johnson | March 8, 1874 | July 31, 1875 | 65 years, 69 days | 66 years, 214 days | 1 year, 145 days | 510 days |
Ulysses S. Grant | July 31, 1875 | July 23, 1885 | 53 years, 95 days | 63 years, 87 days | 9 years, 357 days | 3,645 days |
Rutherford B. Hayes | July 23, 1885 | January 17, 1893 | 62 years, 292 days | 70 years, 105 days | 7 years, 178 days | 2,735 days |
Benjamin Harrison | January 17, 1893 | March 13, 1901 | 59 years, 150 days | 67 years, 205 days | 8 years, 55 days | 2,976 days |
Grover Cleveland | March 13, 1901 | June 24, 1908 | 63 years, 360 days | 71 years, 98 days | 7 years, 103 days | 2,660 days |
Theodore Roosevelt | June 24, 1908 | March 4, 1909 | 49 years, 241 days | 50 years, 128 days | 253 days | 253 days |
William Howard Taft | March 4, 1909 | March 4, 1913 | 51 years, 170 days | 55 years, 170 days | 4 years, 0 days | 1,461 days |
Woodrow Wilson | March 4, 1913 | February 3, 1924 | 56 years, 66 days | 67 years, 37 days | 10 years, 336 days | 3,988 days |
William Howard Taft | February 3, 1924 | March 8, 1930 | 66 years, 141 days | 72 years, 174 days | 6 years, 33 days | 2,225 days |
Calvin Coolidge | March 8, 1930 | January 5, 1933 | 57 years, 247 days | 60 years, 185 days | 2 years, 303 days | 1,034 days |
Herbert Hoover | January 5, 1933 | October 20, 1964 | 58 years, 148 days | 90 years, 71 days | 31 years, 289 days | 11,611 days |
Harry S. Truman | October 20, 1964 | December 26, 1972 | 80 years, 165 days | 88 years, 232 days | 8 years, 67 days | 2,989 days |
Lyndon B. Johnson | December 26, 1972 | January 22, 1973 | 64 years, 121 days | 64 years, 148 days | 27 days | 27 days |
Richard Nixon | January 22, 1973 | January 20, 1981 | 60 years, 13 days | 68 years, 11 days | 7 years, 364 days | 2,920 days |
Ronald Reagan | January 20, 1981 | June 5, 2004 | 69 years, 349 days | 93 years, 120 days | 23 years, 137 days | 8,537 days |
Gerald Ford | June 5, 2004 | December 26, 2006 | 90 years, 327 days | 93 years, 165 days | 2 years, 204 days | 934 days |
George H. W. Bush | December 26, 2006 | 82 years, 197 days | 17 years, 288 days | 0 days | ||
President | Start Date | End Date | Age at Start Date | Age at End Date | Duration (Years, Days) | Duration (Days) |
Sources
- Frank Freidel and Hugh S. Sidey, "The Presidents of the United States". The White House.
- Robert S. Summers, "POTUS: Presidents of the United States". Internet Public Library.