Global InformationList of presidents of the United States who died in office information
| Presidents of the United States who died in office | ||
|---|---|---|
 William Henry Harrison April 4, 1841 |
 Zachary Taylor July 9, 1850 |
 Abraham Lincoln April 15, 1865 |
 James A. Garfield September 19, 1881 |
|
 William McKinley September 14, 1901 |
 Warren G. Harding August 2, 1923 |
 Franklin D. Roosevelt April 12, 1945 |
 John F. Kennedy November 22, 1963 |
Since the office was established in 1789, 45 persons have served as president of the United States.[a] Of these, eight have died in office:[1] four were assassinated, and four died of natural causes. In each of these instances, the vice president has succeeded to the presidency. This practice is now governed by Section One of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1967, which declares that, "the Vice President shall become President" if the president is removed from office, dies, or resigns.[2] The initial authorization for this practice was provided by Article II, Section 1, Clause 6, of the U.S. Constitution.[b][2]
The first incumbent U.S. president to die was William Henry Harrison, on April 4, 1841, only one month after Inauguration Day. He died from complications of what at the time was believed to be pneumonia.[3] The second American president to die in office, Zachary Taylor, died on July 9, 1850, from acute gastroenteritis.[4] Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to be killed while in office. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth on the night of April 14, 1865, and died the following morning.[5] Sixteen years later, on July 2, 1881, James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau, surviving for over two months before dying on September 19, 1881.[6]
On September 6, 1901, William McKinley died, eight days after being shot by Leon Czolgosz.[7] Next, Warren G. Harding suffered a heart attack, and died on August 2, 1923.[8] On April 12, 1945, Franklin D. Roosevelt (who had just begun his fourth term in office) collapsed and died as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage.[9] The most recent U.S. president to die in office was John F. Kennedy, who was shot by Lee Harvey Oswald on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.[10]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ "Succession: Presidential and Vice Presidential Fast Facts". CNN.com. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. August 27, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ a b c Neale, Thomas H. (September 27, 2004). "Presidential and Vice Presidential Succession: Overview and Current Legislation" (PDF). CRS Report for Congress. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ "Remembering William Henry Harrison: The most obscure President?". Constitution Daily. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: National Constitution Center. February 9, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ "Zachary Taylor". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on August 3, 2010. Retrieved December 15, 2008 – via National Archives.
- ^ "Assassination of President Abraham Lincoln". Library of Congress. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
- ^ MacGowen, Douglas. "Charles J. Guiteau". Crime Library. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. Archived from the original on September 27, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
McKinleywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Harding a Farm Boy Who Rose by Work". The New York Times. August 3, 1923. Retrieved December 15, 2008.
- ^ "Franklin D. Roosevelt". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2008 – via National Archives.
- ^ "The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection". National Archives. Retrieved December 15, 2008.