List of presidents of the United States by age
This is a list of Presidents of the United States by age. The first table charts the age of each United States President at the time of presidential inauguration (first inauguration if elected to multiple and consecutive terms), upon leaving office, and at the time of death. Each president's lifespan (age at death) is measured in two ways, to allow for the differing number of leap days that each experienced. The first figure is the number of days between the President's date of birth and date of death, allowing for leap days; in parentheses, the same period is given in years and days, with the years being the number of whole years that the president lived, and the days being the number of days since the last birthday. Where the President is still living, lifespan is calculated up to August 7, 2024. The second table includes those presidents who had the distinction among their peers of being the oldest living president, and charts both when they became and ceased to be oldest living.
Overview
The average age of accession is 54 years and 11 months, which falls between Herbert Hoover (22nd) and Lyndon B. Johnson (23rd). The youngest person to assume office was Theodore Roosevelt, who became president following William McKinley's assassination, at the age of 42 years, 322 days. The youngest president elected to office was John F Kennedy, who assumed office at the age of 43 years, 236 days, who was also the youngest to leave office when he was assassinated, at the age of 46 years, 177 days. The oldest president to assume office will be president-elect Donald Trump, who will be 70 years, 220 days old when he assumes office. Ronald Reagan was the oldest in office, at the age of 77 years, 349 days when he left office.
The oldest living president is George H. W. Bush, born June 12, 1924 (aged 100 years, 56 days). Jimmy Carter is the second-oldest, 111 days younger than Bush. Carter was born October 1, 1924 (aged 99 years, 311 days). The youngest living former president is Bill Clinton, born August 19, 1946 (aged 77 years, 354 days), followed by George W. Bush, 44 days older, born July 6, 1946 (aged 78 years, 32 days). The youngest living president is the incumbent, Barack Obama, born August 4, 1961 (aged 63 years, 3 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, 45 days fewer than Ford. 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 of cholera at the age of 53 years and 225 days. The president with the longest retirement is Jimmy Carter, at 15,905 days. Carter achieved this record on September 8, 2012, surpassing Herbert Hoover, who died 11,553 days after leaving the presidency. The president with the shortest retirement was James K. Polk, who died 103 days after leaving the presidency.
The greatest number of presidents alive at any given time, including the incumbent, has been six. This has occurred three times. The first (including Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan and Abraham Lincoln) took place between Lincoln's inauguration on March 4, 1861 and Tyler's death on January 18, 1862. The second (including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton) took place between Clinton's inauguration on January 20, 1993 and Nixon's death on April 22, 1994. The third (and longest, including Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) took place between G.W. Bush's inauguration on January 20, 2001 and Reagan's death on June 5, 2004.
Six U.S. Presidents have lived into their 90s. They are (in order of birth):
List of Presidents by age
# | President | Birth date | Presidency start date |
Age at start date |
Presidency end date |
Age at end date |
Post-presidency timespan |
Death Date | Lifespan |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | George Washington | Feb 22, 1732[a] | Apr 30, 1789 | 57 years, 67 days | Mar 4, 1797 | 65 years, 10 days | (2 years, 285 days) |
1,015 daysDec 14, 1799 | 67 years, 295 days (24,767 days) |
2 | John Adams | Oct 30, 1735[a] | Mar 4, 1797 | 61 years, 125 days | Mar 4, 1801 | 65 years, 125 days | (25 years, 122 days) |
9,253 daysJul 4, 1826 | 90 years, 247 days (33,119 days) |
3 | Thomas Jefferson | Apr 13, 1743[a] | Mar 4, 1801 | 57 years, 325 days | Mar 4, 1809 | 65 years, 325 days | (17 years, 122 days) |
6,331 daysJul 4, 1826 | 83 years, 82 days (30,397 days) |
4 | James Madison | Mar 16, 1751[a] | Mar 4, 1809 | 57 years, 353 days | Mar 4, 1817 | 65 years, 353 days | (19 years, 116 days) |
7,056 daysJun 28, 1836 | 85 years, 104 days (31,150 days) |
5 | James Monroe | Apr 28, 1758 | Mar 4, 1817 | 58 years, 310 days | Mar 4, 1825 | 66 years, 310 days | (6 years, 122 days) |
2,313 daysJul 4, 1831 | 73 years, 67 days (26,729 days) |
6 | John Q. Adams | Jul 11, 1767 | Mar 4, 1825 | 57 years, 236 days | Mar 4, 1829 | 61 years, 236 days | (18 years, 356 days) |
6,930 daysFeb 23, 1848 | 80 years, 227 days (29,446 days) |
7 | Andrew Jackson | Mar 15, 1767 | Mar 4, 1829 | 61 years, 354 days | Mar 4, 1837 | 69 years, 354 days | (8 years, 96 days) |
3,018 daysJun 8, 1845 | 78 years, 85 days (28,574 days) |
8 | Martin Van Buren | Dec 5, 1782 | Mar 4, 1837 | 54 years, 89 days | Mar 4, 1841 | 58 years, 89 days | (21 years, 142 days) |
7,812 daysJul 24, 1862 | 79 years, 231 days (29,085 days) |
9 | William H. Harrison | Feb 9, 1773 | Mar 4, 1841 | 68 years, 23 days | Apr 4, 1841[b] | 68 years, 54 days | 0 days | Apr 4, 1841 | 68 years, 54 days (24,890 days) |
10 | John Tyler | Mar 29, 1790 | Apr 4, 1841 | 51 years, 6 days | Mar 4, 1845 | 54 years, 340 days | (16 years, 320 days) |
6,164 daysJan 18, 1862 | 71 years, 295 days (26,227 days) |
11 | James K. Polk | Nov 2, 1795 | Mar 4, 1845 | 49 years, 122 days | Mar 4, 1849 | 53 years, 122 days | 103 days | Jun 15, 1849 | 53 years, 225 days (19,583 days) |
12 | Zachary Taylor | Nov 24, 1784 | Mar 4, 1849 | 64 years, 100 days | Jul 9, 1850[b] | 65 years, 227 days | 0 days | Jul 9, 1850 | 65 years, 227 days (23,967 days) |
13 | Millard Fillmore | Jan 7, 1800 | Jul 9, 1850 | 50 years, 183 days | Mar 4, 1853 | 53 years, 56 days | (21 years, 4 days) |
7,674 daysMar 8, 1874 | 74 years, 60 days (27,088 days) |
14 | Franklin Pierce | Nov 23, 1804 | Mar 4, 1853 | 48 years, 101 days | Mar 4, 1857 | 52 years, 101 days | (12 years, 218 days) |
4,601 daysOct 8, 1869 | 64 years, 319 days (23,695 days) |
15 | James Buchanan | Apr 23, 1791 | Mar 4, 1857 | 65 years, 315 days | Mar 4, 1861 | 69 years, 315 days | (7 years, 89 days) |
2,646 daysJun 1, 1868 | 77 years, 39 days (28,163 days) |
16 | Abraham Lincoln | Feb 12, 1809 | Mar 4, 1861 | 52 years, 20 days | Apr 15, 1865[b] | 56 years, 62 days | 0 days | Apr 15, 1865 | 56 years, 62 days (20,516 days) |
17 | Andrew Johnson | Dec 29, 1808 | Apr 15, 1865 | 56 years, 107 days | Mar 4, 1869 | 60 years, 65 days | (6 years, 149 days) |
2,340 daysJul 31, 1875 | 66 years, 214 days (24,320 days) |
18 | Ulysses S. Grant | Apr 27, 1822 | Mar 4, 1869 | 46 years, 311 days | Mar 4, 1877 | 54 years, 311 days | (8 years, 141 days) |
3,063 daysJul 23, 1885 | 63 years, 87 days (23,098 days) |
19 | Rutherford B. Hayes | Oct 4, 1822 | Mar 4, 1877 | 54 years, 151 days | Mar 4, 1881 | 58 years, 151 days | (11 years, 319 days) |
4,337 daysJan 17, 1893 | 70 years, 105 days (25,673 days) |
20 | James A. Garfield | Nov 19, 1831 | Mar 4, 1881 | 49 years, 105 days | Sep 19, 1881[b] | 49 years, 304 days | 0 days | Sep 19, 1881 | 49 years, 304 days (18,202 days) |
21 | Chester A. Arthur | Oct 5, 1829 | Sep 19, 1881 | 51 years, 349 days | Mar 4, 1885 | 55 years, 150 days | (1 year, 259 days) |
624 daysNov 18, 1886 | 57 years, 44 days (20,863 days) |
22 | Grover Cleveland | Mar 18, 1837 | Mar 4, 1885 | 47 years, 351 days | Mar 4, 1889 | 51 years, 351 days | [c] (15 years, 112 days) |
5,590 daysJun 24, 1908 | 71 years, 98 days (26,030 days) |
23 | Benjamin Harrison | Aug 20, 1833 | Mar 4, 1889 | 55 years, 196 days | Mar 4, 1893 | 59 years, 196 days | (8 years, 9 days) |
2,930 daysMar 13, 1901 | 67 years, 205 days (24,676 days) |
24 | Grover Cleveland | Mar 18, 1837 | Mar 4, 1893 | 55 years, 351 days | Mar 4, 1897 | 59 years, 351 days | [c] (15 years, 112 days) |
5,590 daysJun 24, 1908 | 71 years, 98 days (26,030 days) |
25 | William McKinley | Jan 29, 1843 | Mar 4, 1897 | 54 years, 34 days | Sep 14, 1901[b] | 58 years, 228 days | 0 days | Sep 14, 1901 | 58 years, 228 days (21,412 days) |
26 | Theodore Roosevelt | Oct 27, 1858 | Sep 14, 1901 | 42 years, 322 days | Mar 4, 1909 | 50 years, 128 days | (9 years, 308 days) |
3,595 daysJan 6, 1919 | 60 years, 71 days (21,985 days) |
27 | William H. Taft | Sep 15, 1857 | Mar 4, 1909 | 51 years, 170 days | Mar 4, 1913 | 55 years, 170 days | (17 years, 4 days) |
6,213 daysMar 8, 1930 | 72 years, 174 days (26,471 days) |
28 | Woodrow Wilson | Dec 28, 1856 | Mar 4, 1913 | 56 years, 66 days | Mar 4, 1921 | 64 years, 66 days | (2 years, 336 days) |
1,066 daysFeb 3, 1924 | 67 years, 37 days (24,507 days) |
29 | Warren G. Harding | Nov 2, 1865 | Mar 4, 1921 | 55 years, 122 days | Aug 2, 1923[b] | 57 years, 273 days | 0 days | Aug 2, 1923 | 57 years, 273 days (21,091 days) |
30 | Calvin Coolidge | Jul 4, 1872 | Aug 2, 1923 | 51 years, 29 days | Mar 4, 1929 | 56 years, 243 days | (3 years, 307 days) |
1,403 daysJan 5, 1933 | 60 years, 185 days (22,099 days) |
31 | Herbert Hoover | Aug 10, 1874 | Mar 4, 1929 | 54 years, 206 days | Mar 4, 1933 | 58 years, 206 days | (31 years, 230 days) |
11,553 daysOct 20, 1964 | 90 years, 71 days (32,943 days) |
32 | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Jan 30, 1882 | Mar 4, 1933 | 51 years, 33 days | Apr 12, 1945[b] | 63 years, 72 days | 0 days | Apr 12, 1945 | 63 years, 72 days (23,082 days) |
33 | Harry S. Truman | May 8, 1884 | Apr 12, 1945 | 60 years, 339 days | Jan 20, 1953 | 68 years, 257 days | (19 years, 341 days) |
7,280 daysDec 26, 1972 | 88 years, 232 days (32,373 days) |
34 | Dwight D. Eisenhower | Oct 14, 1890 | Jan 20, 1953 | 62 years, 98 days | Jan 20, 1961 | 70 years, 98 days | (8 years, 67 days) |
2,989 daysMar 28, 1969 | 78 years, 165 days (28,654 days) |
35 | John F. Kennedy | May 29, 1917 | Jan 20, 1961 | 43 years, 236 days | Nov 22, 1963[b] | 46 years, 177 days | 0 days | Nov 22, 1963 | 46 years, 177 days (16,978 days) |
36 | Lyndon B. Johnson | Aug 27, 1908 | Nov 22, 1963 | 55 years, 87 days | Jan 20, 1969 | 60 years, 146 days | (4 years, 2 days) |
1,463 daysJan 22, 1973 | 64 years, 148 days (23,524 days) |
37 | Richard Nixon | Jan 9, 1913 | Jan 20, 1969 | 56 years, 11 days | Aug 9, 1974[d] | 61 years, 212 days | (19 years, 256 days) |
7,196 daysApr 22, 1994 | 81 years, 103 days (29,688 days) |
38 | Gerald Ford | Jul 14, 1913 | Aug 9, 1974 | 61 years, 26 days | Jan 20, 1977 | 63 years, 190 days | (29 years, 340 days) |
10,932 daysDec 26, 2006 | 93 years, 165 days (34,133 days) |
39 | Jimmy Carter | Oct 1, 1924 | Jan 20, 1977 | 52 years, 111 days | Jan 20, 1981 | 56 years, 111 days | (43 years, 200 days) |
15,905 days99 years, 311 days (36,470 days) | |
40 | Ronald Reagan | Feb 6, 1911 | Jan 20, 1981 | 69 years, 349 days | Jan 20, 1989 | 77 years, 349 days | (15 years, 137 days) |
5,615 daysJun 5, 2004 | 93 years, 120 days (34,088 days) |
41 | George H. W. Bush | Jun 12, 1924 | Jan 20, 1989 | 64 years, 222 days | Jan 20, 1993 | 68 years, 222 days | (31 years, 200 days) |
11,522 days100 years, 56 days (36,581 days) | |
42 | Bill Clinton | Aug 19, 1946 | Jan 20, 1993 | 46 years, 154 days | Jan 20, 2001 | 54 years, 154 days | (23 years, 200 days) |
8,600 days77 years, 354 days (28,478 days) | |
43 | George W. Bush | Jul 6, 1946 | Jan 20, 2001 | 54 years, 198 days | Jan 20, 2009 | 62 years, 198 days | (15 years, 200 days) |
5,678 days78 years, 32 days (28,522 days) | |
44 | Barack Obama | Aug 4, 1961 | Jan 20, 2009 | 47 years, 169 days | Scheduled: Jan 20, 2017 |
55 years, 169 days | 63 years, 3 days (23,014 days) | ||
45 | Donald Trump (elect) | Jun 14, 1946 | Scheduled: Jan 20, 2017 |
70 years, 220 days | 78 years, 54 days (28,544 days) | ||||
# | President | Birth date | Presidency start date |
Age at start date |
Presidency end date |
Age at end date |
Post-presidency timespan |
Death date | Lifespan |
Notes
Timeline of oldest living Presidents
Of the 43 persons who have served as president, 24 have become the oldest such individual of their time. Herbert Hoover became the oldest living president (while still president himself) when Calvin Coolidge died in January 1933, and retained this distinction until his death 31 years later. Lyndon B. Johnson became the oldest living president upon the death of Harry S. Truman in December 1972, but outlived him by only 27 days. On three occasions the oldest living president lost this distinction, not by his death, but due to the nation electing a president who was older. Theodore Roosevelt lost this distinction when William Taft was inaugurated, then four years later Taft lost it when Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated. More recently, Richard Nixon ceased being the oldest living president when Ronald Reagan was inaugurated. Furthermore, although Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest ever to become both the oldest living president (at age 50) and a former president (at age 51), he was the only living president or former president by the end of his term. Consequently, Taft was the oldest living president twice: first during his presidency (having succeeded the younger Roosevelt), and a second time after Wilson (his successor as president but an older man) died. Gerald Ford was the oldest to acquire this distinction (at age 90).
President | Became oldest living president | Ceased to be oldest living president | Age at start date |
Age at end date |
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 | Current | 82 years, 197 days | Current | 17 years, 225 days | 6,434 days |
President | Became oldest living president | Ceased to be oldest living president | 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.