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, their lifespan is calculated up to October 20, 2018. 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.

Age of U.S. presidents

Age of presidents when assuming office approximately follows a bell curve (mean age marked by red line, c. 55.5 years)

The median age upon accession to the presidency is 55 years and 3 months. This is how old Lyndon B. Johnson was at the time of his inauguration. The youngest person to assume the office was Theodore Roosevelt, who became president at the age of 42 years, 322 days, following William McKinley's assassination; the oldest was Donald Trump, who was 70 years, 220 days old at his inauguration. The youngest person to be elected president was John F. Kennedy, at 43 years, 163 days of age on election day; the oldest was Ronald Reagan, who was 73 years, 274 days old at the time of his election to a second term.

Assassinated three years into his term, John F. Kennedy was the youngest at the time of leaving office (46 years, 177 days); the youngest president to leave office at the conclusion of a normal transition was Theodore Roosevelt (50 years, 128 days). The oldest at the time of leaving office was Ronald Reagan (77 years, 349 days).

Born on May 29, 1917, John F. Kennedy was younger than four of his successors, the greatest number to date: Lyndon Johnson (8 years, 9 months, and 2 days); Ronald Reagan (6 years, 3 months, and 23 days); Richard Nixon (4 years, 4 months, and 16 days); and Gerald Ford (3 years, 10 months, and 15 days).

Born on February 6, 1911, Ronald Reagan was older than four of his predecessors, the greatest number to date: Richard Nixon (1 year, 11 months, and 7 days); Gerald Ford (2 years, 5 months, and 8 days); John F. Kennedy (6 years, 3 months, and 23 days); and Jimmy Carter (13 years, 7 months, and 25 days).

Three presidents—Donald Trump, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton—were born in 1946 (all within the span of 9 weeks). This is the only calendar year in which three presidents have been born. Two presidents—James K. Polk and Warren G. Harding—were born on November 2 (70 years apart). This is the only day of the year having the birthday of multiple presidents.[1]

The oldest living U.S. president is George H. W. Bush, born June 12, 1924 (age 94 years, 130 days). On November 25, 2017, he also became the longest-lived president, surpassing the lifespan of Gerald Ford, who died at the age of 93 years, 165 days. Jimmy Carter, has the distinction of having the longest post-presidency in U.S. history, currently at 37 years, 273 days. He surpassed the previous record, held by Herbert Hoover (31 years, 230 days) on September 7, 2012. The youngest living president is Barack Obama, born August 4, 1961 (age 57 years, 77 days). The shortest-lived president to have died by natural causes (thereby excluding John F. Kennedy and James A. Garfield, who were both assassinated) was James K. Polk, who died of cholera at the age of 53 years, 225 days; only 103 days after leaving office.

Six U.S. presidents have lived into their 90s, with two of them currently alive. The first to do so, John Adams, held the distinction of being the longest-lived president for nearly two centuries, from 1803 until Ronald Reagan surpassed his lifespan in October 2001.[2][3] The six nonagenarian presidents (in order of birth) are:

Table

President Birth
date		 Start of presidency End of presidency Post-presidency
timespan		 Death
DateAgeDateAgeDateAge
1 • George Washington Feb 22, 1732[lower-alpha 1] Apr 30, 1789 57 years, 67 days Mar 4, 1797 65 years, 10 days 2 years, 285 days Dec 14, 1799 67 years, 295 days
2 • John Adams Oct 30, 1735[lower-alpha 1] Mar 4, 1797 61 years, 125 days Mar 4, 1801 65 years, 125 days 25 years, 122 days Jul 4, 1826 90 years, 247 days
3 • Thomas Jefferson Apr 13, 1743[lower-alpha 1] Mar 4, 1801 57 years, 325 days Mar 4, 1809 65 years, 325 days 17 years, 122 days Jul 4, 1826 83 years, 82 days
4 • James Madison Mar 16, 1751[lower-alpha 1] Mar 4, 1809 57 years, 353 days Mar 4, 1817 65 years, 353 days 19 years, 116 days Jun 28, 1836 85 years, 104 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 Jul 4, 1831 73 years, 67 days
6 • John Quincy Adams Jul 11, 1767 Mar 4, 1825 57 years, 236 days Mar 4, 1829 61 years, 236 days 18 years, 356 days Feb 23, 1848 80 years, 227 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 Jun 8, 1845 78 years, 85 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 Jul 24, 1862 79 years, 231 days
9 • William Henry Harrison Feb 9, 1773 Mar 4, 1841 68 years, 23 days Apr 4, 1841[lower-alpha 2] 68 years, 54 days 0 days Apr 4, 1841 68 years, 54 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 Jan 18, 1862 71 years, 295 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
12 • Zachary Taylor Nov 24, 1784 Mar 4, 1849 64 years, 100 days Jul 9, 1850[lower-alpha 2] 65 years, 227 days 0 days Jul 9, 1850 65 years, 227 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 Mar 8, 1874 74 years, 60 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 Oct 8, 1869 64 years, 319 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 Jun 1, 1868 77 years, 39 days
16 • Abraham Lincoln Feb 12, 1809 Mar 4, 1861 52 years, 20 days Apr 15, 1865[lower-alpha 2] 56 years, 62 days 0 days Apr 15, 1865 56 years, 62 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 Jul 31, 1875 66 years, 214 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 Jul 23, 1885 63 years, 87 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 Jan 17, 1893 70 years, 105 days
20 • James A. Garfield Nov 19, 1831 Mar 4, 1881 49 years, 105 days Sep 19, 1881[lower-alpha 2] 49 years, 304 days 0 days Sep 19, 1881 49 years, 304 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 Nov 18, 1886 57 years, 44 days
22 • Grover Cleveland Mar 18, 1837 Mar 4, 1885 47 years, 351 days Mar 4, 1889 51 years, 351 days 4 years, 0 days[lower-alpha 3] Jun 24, 1908 71 years, 98 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 Mar 13, 1901 67 years, 205 days
24 • Grover Cleveland Mar 18, 1837 Mar 4, 1893 55 years, 351 days Mar 4, 1897 59 years, 351 days 11 years, 112 days[lower-alpha 4] Jun 24, 1908 71 years, 98 days
25 • William McKinley Jan 29, 1843 Mar 4, 1897 54 years, 34 days Sep 14, 1901[lower-alpha 2] 58 years, 228 days 0 days Sep 14, 1901 58 years, 228 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 Jan 6, 1919 60 years, 71 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 Mar 8, 1930 72 years, 174 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 Feb 3, 1924 67 years, 37 days
29 • Warren G. Harding Nov 2, 1865 Mar 4, 1921 55 years, 122 days Aug 2, 1923[lower-alpha 2] 57 years, 273 days 0 days Aug 2, 1923 57 years, 273 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 Jan 5, 1933 60 years, 185 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 Oct 20, 1964 90 years, 71 days
32 • Franklin D. Roosevelt Jan 30, 1882 Mar 4, 1933 51 years, 33 days Apr 12, 1945[lower-alpha 2] 63 years, 72 days 0 days Apr 12, 1945 63 years, 72 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 Dec 26, 1972 88 years, 232 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 Mar 28, 1969 78 years, 165 days
35 • John F. Kennedy May 29, 1917 Jan 20, 1961 43 years, 236 days Nov 22, 1963[lower-alpha 2] 46 years, 177 days 0 days Nov 22, 1963 46 years, 177 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 Jan 22, 1973 64 years, 148 days
37 • Richard Nixon Jan 9, 1913 Jan 20, 1969 56 years, 11 days Aug 9, 1974[lower-alpha 5] 61 years, 212 days 19 years, 256 days Apr 22, 1994 81 years, 103 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 Dec 26, 2006 93 years, 165 days
39 • Jimmy Carter Oct 1, 1924 Jan 20, 1977 52 years, 111 days Jan 20, 1981 56 years, 111 days 37 years, 273 days (Living) 94 years, 19 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 Jun 5, 2004 93 years, 120 days
41 • George H. W. Bush Jun 12, 1924 Jan 20, 1989 64 years, 222 days Jan 20, 1993 68 years, 222 days 25 years, 273 days (Living) 94 years, 130 days
42 • Bill Clinton Aug 19, 1946 Jan 20, 1993 46 years, 154 days Jan 20, 2001 54 years, 154 days 17 years, 273 days (Living) 72 years, 62 days
43 • George W. Bush Jul 6, 1946 Jan 20, 2001 54 years, 198 days Jan 20, 2009 62 years, 198 days 9 years, 273 days (Living) 72 years, 106 days
44 • Barack Obama Aug 4, 1961 Jan 20, 2009 47 years, 169 days Jan 20, 2017 55 years, 169 days 1 year, 273 days (Living) 57 years, 77 days
45 • Donald Trump Jun 14, 1946 Jan 20, 2017 70 years, 220 days (Incumbent) 72 years, 128 days
—
 (Living) 72 years, 128 days
President Birth
date		 DateAge DateAge Post-presidency
timespan		 DateAge
Start of presidency End of presidency Death

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 Birthdate as changed to New Style.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Died in office.
  3. ↑ Cleveland was president for 2 nonconsecutive terms this is his first post presidential retirement between his terms (1889–1893).
  4. ↑ Cleveland was president for 2 nonconsecutive terms this is his post presidency retirement counting only from after his second term (1897–1908).
  5. ↑ Resigned from office.

Oldest living U.S. presidents

Of the 44 persons who have served as president, 24 have become the oldest such individual of their time. Herbert Hoover held this distinction for the longest period of any, from the death of Calvin Coolidge in January 1933 until his own death 31 years later. Lyndon B. Johnson held it for the shortest, from the death of Harry S. Truman in December 1972 until his own death only 27 days later. Theodore Roosevelt, at age 49, was the youngest individual ever become the oldest living president; Gerald Ford was the oldest to acquire this distinction, at the age of 90. Nine of these individuals have also had the distinction of being the oldest living vice president: John Adams, Martin Van Buren, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, Harry S. Truman, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, and George H. W. Bush (currently).

On three occasions the oldest living president lost this distinction not by his death, but by the inauguration of a president who was older. Theodore Roosevelt (born 1858) lost this distinction when William Howard Taft (born 1857) was inaugurated, then, four years later, Taft lost it when Woodrow Wilson (born 1856) was inaugurated. More recently, Richard Nixon (born 1913) ceased being the oldest living president when Ronald Reagan (born 1911) was inaugurated. Taft was the oldest living president twice: first during his presidency, having succeeded the younger Roosevelt, and a second time after leaving office, as he outlived the older Wilson.

Altogether, seven presidents acquired this distinction while in office. In the cases of John Adams, Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon, this happened at the same time as their becoming the only living president; in the cases of Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Harrison, the only other living president at the time was a younger predecessor, John Quincy Adams and Grover Cleveland respectively. By contrast, the president who acquired this distinction furthest from his time in office was Gerald Ford, who had been retired for 27 years, 137 days.

President Dates Age at start Age at end Length
George Washington April 30, 1789 – December 14, 1799 57 years, 67 days 67 years, 295 days 10 years, 228 days
John Adams December 14, 1799 – July 4, 1826 64 years, 45 days 90 years, 247 days 26 years, 202 days
James Madison July 4, 1826 – June 28, 1836 75 years, 110 days 85 years, 104 days 9 years, 360 days
Andrew Jackson June 28, 1836 – June 8, 1845 69 years, 105 days 78 years, 85 days 8 years, 345 days
John Quincy Adams June 8, 1845 – February 23, 1848 77 years, 332 days 80 years, 227 days 2 years, 260 days
Martin Van Buren February 23, 1848 – July 24, 1862 65 years, 80 days 79 years, 231 days 14 years, 151 days
James Buchanan July 24, 1862 – June 1, 1868 71 years, 92 days 77 years, 39 days 5 years, 313 days
Millard Fillmore June 1, 1868 – March 8, 1874 68 years, 146 days 74 years, 60 days 5 years, 280 days
Andrew Johnson March 8, 1874 – July 31, 1875 65 years, 69 days 66 years, 214 days 1 year, 145 days
Ulysses S. Grant July 31, 1875 – July 23, 1885 53 years, 95 days 63 years, 87 days 9 years, 357 days
Rutherford B. Hayes July 23, 1885 – January 17, 1893 62 years, 292 days 70 years, 105 days 7 years, 178 days
Benjamin Harrison January 17, 1893 – March 13, 1901 59 years, 150 days 67 years, 205 days 8 years, 55 days
Grover Cleveland March 13, 1901 – June 24, 1908 63 years, 360 days 71 years, 98 days 7 years, 103 days
Theodore Roosevelt June 24, 1908 – March 4, 1909 49 years, 241 days 50 years, 128 days 253 days
William Howard Taft March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913 51 years, 170 days 55 years, 170 days 4 years, 0 days
Woodrow Wilson March 4, 1913 – February 3, 1924 56 years, 66 days 67 years, 37 days 10 years, 336 days
William Howard Taft February 3, 1924 – March 8, 1930 66 years, 141 days 72 years, 174 days 6 years, 33 days
Calvin Coolidge March 8, 1930 – January 5, 1933 57 years, 247 days 60 years, 185 days 2 years, 303 days
Herbert Hoover January 5, 1933 – October 20, 1964 58 years, 148 days 90 years, 71 days 31 years, 289 days
Harry S. Truman October 20, 1964 – December 26, 1972 80 years, 165 days 88 years, 232 days 8 years, 67 days
Lyndon B. Johnson December 26, 1972 – January 22, 1973 64 years, 121 days 64 years, 148 days 27 days
Richard Nixon January 22, 1973 – January 20, 1981 60 years, 13 days 68 years, 11 days 7 years, 364 days
Ronald Reagan January 20, 1981 – June 5, 2004 69 years, 349 days 93 years, 120 days 23 years, 137 days
Gerald Ford June 5, 2004 – December 26, 2006 90 years, 327 days 93 years, 165 days 2 years, 204 days
George H. W. Bush December 26, 2006 – present 82 years, 197 days (Current) 11 years, 298 days
President Dates Age at start Age at end Length

References

  1. ↑ "Two former presidents share November 2 birthday". Indianapolis, Indiana: WTHR. November 2, 2017. Retrieved January 6, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Reagan longest-living former president". Deseret News. October 12, 2001. Retrieved October 13, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Ronald Reagan Post-Presidency Chronology". Ronald Reagan Presidential library, National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved October 13, 2018.

Sources

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