Living presidents of the United States
This article shows the living presidents of the United States from the inauguration of the first president in 1789 until the present. The following table includes all 44 persons who have taken the presidential oath of office. (Persons who served as acting president of the United States or as president of the Continental Congress are not included.) Currently, in addition to the incumbent, Donald Trump, there are four living former presidents: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.
Current living presidents
Living presidents as of August 15, 2020 (from oldest to youngest):
Timeline
Number of presidents alive at each moment in United States history:
Number of presidents alive at each moment in United States history | |||
---|---|---|---|
Starting and ending events | Number living | names | Timespan | |
From: Apr 30, 1789 · First inauguration of George Washington To: Mar 4, 1797 · Inauguration of John Adams |
1 | Washington | 7 years, 308 days |
From: Mar 4, 1797 · Inauguration of John Adams To: Dec 14, 1799 · Death of George Washington |
2 | J. Adams Washington | 2 years, 285 days |
From: Dec 14, 1799 · Death of George Washington To: Mar 4, 1801 · First inauguration of Thomas Jefferson |
1 | J. Adams | 1 year, 80 days |
From: Mar 4, 1801 · First inauguration of Thomas Jefferson To: Mar 4, 1809 · First inauguration of James Madison |
2 | Jefferson J. Adams | 8 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1809 · First inauguration of James Madison To: Mar 4, 1817 · First inauguration of James Monroe |
3 | Madison Jefferson J. Adams | 8 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1817 · First inauguration of James Monroe To: Mar 4, 1825 · Inauguration of John Quincy Adams |
4 | Monroe Madison Jefferson J. Adams | 8 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1825 · Inauguration of John Quincy Adams To: Jul 4, 1826 · Death of Thomas Jefferson |
5 | J. Q. Adams Monroe Madison Jefferson J. Adams | 1 year, 122 days |
From: Jul 4, 1826 · Death of Thomas Jefferson To: Jul 4, 1826 · Death of John Adams |
4 | J. Q. Adams Monroe Madison J. Adams | 5½ hours |
From: Jul 4, 1826 · Death of John Adams To: Mar 4, 1829 · First inauguration of Andrew Jackson |
3 | J. Q. Adams Monroe Madison | 2 years, 243 days |
From: Mar 4, 1829 · First inauguration of Andrew Jackson To: Jul 4, 1831 · Death of James Monroe |
4 | Jackson J. Q. Adams Monroe Madison | 2 years, 122 days |
From: Jul 4, 1831 · Death of James Monroe To: Jun 28, 1836 · Death of James Madison |
3 | Jackson J. Q. Adams Madison | 4 years, 360 days |
From: Jun 28, 1836 · Death of James Madison To: Mar 4, 1837 · Inauguration of Martin Van Buren |
2 | Jackson J. Q. Adams | 249 days |
From: Mar 4, 1837 · Inauguration of Martin Van Buren To: Mar 4, 1841 · Inauguration of William Henry Harrison |
3 | Van Buren Jackson J. Q. Adams | 4 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1841 · Inauguration of William Henry Harrison To: Apr 4, 1841 · Death of William Henry Harrison and subsequent Inauguration of John Tyler |
4 | W. H. Harrison Van Buren Jackson J. Q. Adams | 31 days |
From: Apr 4, 1841 · Death of William Henry Harrison and subsequent Inauguration of John Tyler To: Mar 4, 1845 · Inauguration of James K. Polk |
4 | Tyler Van Buren Jackson J. Q. Adams | 3 years, 334 days |
From: Mar 4, 1845 · Inauguration of James K. Polk To: Jun 8, 1845 · Death of Andrew Jackson |
5 | Polk Tyler Van Buren Jackson J. Q. Adams | 96 days |
From: Jun 8, 1845 · Death of Andrew Jackson To: Feb 23, 1848 · Death of John Quincy Adams |
4 | Polk Tyler Van Buren J. Q. Adams | 2 years, 260 days |
From: Feb 23, 1848 · Death of John Quincy Adams To: Mar 4, 1849 · Inauguration of Zachary Taylor |
3 | Polk Tyler Van Buren | 1 year, 9 days |
From: Mar 4, 1849 · Inauguration of Zachary Taylor To: June 15, 1849 · Death of James K. Polk |
4 | Taylor Polk Tyler Van Buren | 103 days |
From: Jun 15, 1849 · Death of James K. Polk To: Jul 9, 1850 · Death of Zachary Taylor and subsequent Inauguration of Millard Fillmore |
3 | Taylor Tyler Van Buren | 1 year, 24 days |
From: Jul 9, 1850 · Death of Zachary Taylor and subsequent Inauguration of Millard Fillmore To: Mar 4, 1853 · Inauguration of Franklin Pierce |
3 | Fillmore Tyler Van Buren | 2 years, 238 days |
From: Mar 4, 1853 · Inauguration of Franklin Pierce To: Mar 4, 1857 · Inauguration of James Buchanan |
4 | Pierce Fillmore Tyler Van Buren | 4 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1857 · Inauguration of James Buchanan To: Mar 4, 1861 · First inauguration of Abraham Lincoln |
5 | Buchanan Pierce Fillmore Tyler Van Buren | 4 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1861 · First inauguration of Abraham Lincoln To: Jan 18, 1862 · Death of John Tyler |
6 | Lincoln Buchanan Pierce Fillmore Tyler Van Buren | 320 days |
From: Jan 18, 1862 · Death of John Tyler To: Jul 24, 1862 · Death of Martin Van Buren |
5 | Lincoln Buchanan Pierce Fillmore Van Buren | 187 days |
From: Jul 24, 1862 · Death of Martin Van Buren To: Apr 15, 1865 · Assassination of Abraham Lincoln and subsequent Inauguration of Andrew Johnson |
4 | Lincoln Buchanan Pierce Fillmore | 2 years, 265 days |
From: Apr 15, 1865 · Assassination of Abraham Lincoln and subsequent Inauguration of Andrew Johnson To: Jun 1, 1868 · Death of James Buchanan |
4 | A. Johnson Buchanan Pierce Fillmore | 3 years, 47 days |
From: Jun 1, 1868 · Death of James Buchanan To: Mar 4, 1869 · First inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant |
3 | A. Johnson Pierce Fillmore | 276 days |
From: Mar 4, 1869 · First inauguration of Ulysses S. Grant To: Oct 8, 1869 · Death of Franklin Pierce |
4 | Grant A. Johnson Pierce Fillmore | 218 days |
From: Oct 8, 1869 · Death of Franklin Pierce To: Mar 8, 1874 · Death of Millard Fillmore |
3 | Grant A. Johnson Fillmore | 4 years, 151 days |
From: Mar 8, 1874 · Death of Millard Fillmore To: Jul 31, 1875 · Death of Andrew Johnson |
2 | Grant A. Johnson | 1 year, 145 days |
From: Jul 31, 1875 · Death of Andrew Johnson To: Mar 4, 1877 · Inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes |
1 | Grant | 1 year, 216 days |
From: Mar 4, 1877 · Inauguration of Rutherford B. Hayes To: Mar 4, 1881 · Inauguration of James A. Garfield |
2 | Hayes Grant | 4 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1881 · Inauguration of James A. Garfield To: Sep 19, 1881 · Assassination of James A. Garfield and subsequent Inauguration of Chester A. Arthur |
3 | Garfield Hayes Grant | 199 days |
From: Sep 19, 1881 · Assassination of James A. Garfield and subsequent Inauguration of Chester A. Arthur To: Mar 4, 1885 · First inauguration of Grover Cleveland |
3 | Arthur Hayes Grant | 3 years, 166 days |
From: Mar 4, 1885 · First inauguration of Grover Cleveland To: Jul 23, 1885 · Death of Ulysses S. Grant |
4 | Cleveland Arthur Hayes Grant | 141 days |
From: Jul 23, 1885 · Death of Ulysses S. Grant To: Nov 18, 1886 · Death of Chester A. Arthur |
3 | Cleveland Arthur Hayes | 1 year, 118 days |
From: Nov 18, 1886 · Death of Chester A. Arthur To: Mar 4, 1889 · Inauguration of Benjamin Harrison |
2 | Cleveland Hayes | 2 years, 106 days |
From: Mar 4, 1889 · Inauguration of Benjamin Harrison To: Jan 17, 1893 · Death of Rutherford B. Hayes |
3 | B. Harrison Cleveland Hayes | 3 years, 319 days |
From: Jan 17, 1893 · Death of Rutherford B. Hayes To: Mar 4, 1897 · First inauguration of William McKinley |
2 | B. Harrison Cleveland | 4 years, 46 days |
From: Mar 4, 1897 · First inauguration of William McKinley To: Mar 13, 1901 · Death of Benjamin Harrison |
3 | McKinley B. Harrison Cleveland | 4 years, 9 days |
From: Mar 13, 1901 · Death of Benjamin Harrison To: Sep 14, 1901 · Assassination of William McKinley and subsequent First inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt |
2 | McKinley Cleveland | 185 days |
From: Sep 14, 1901 · Assassination of William McKinley and subsequent First inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt To: Jun 24, 1908 · Death of Grover Cleveland |
2 | T. Roosevelt Cleveland | 6 years, 284 days |
From: Jun 24, 1908 · Death of Grover Cleveland To: Mar 4, 1909 · Inauguration of William Howard Taft |
1 | T. Roosevelt | 253 days |
From: Mar 4, 1909 · Inauguration of William Howard Taft To: Mar 4, 1913 · First inauguration of Woodrow Wilson |
2 | Taft T. Roosevelt | 4 years, 0 days |
From: Mar 4, 1913 · First inauguration of Woodrow Wilson To: Jan 6, 1919 · Death of Theodore Roosevelt |
3 | Wilson Taft T. Roosevelt | 5 years, 308 days |
From: Jan 6, 1919 · Death of Theodore Roosevelt To: Mar 4, 1921 · Inauguration of Warren G. Harding |
2 | Wilson Taft | 2 years, 57 days |
From: Mar 4, 1921 · Inauguration of Warren G. Harding To: Aug 2, 1923 · Death of Warren G. Harding and subsequent First inauguration of Calvin Coolidge |
3 | Harding Wilson Taft | 2 years, 151 days |
From: Aug 2, 1923 · Death of Warren G. Harding and subsequent First inauguration of Calvin Coolidge To: Feb 3, 1924 · Death of Woodrow Wilson |
3 | Coolidge Wilson Taft | 185 days |
From: Feb 3, 1924 · Death of Woodrow Wilson To: Mar 4, 1929 · Inauguration of Herbert Hoover |
2 | Coolidge Taft | 5 years, 29 days |
From: Mar 4, 1929 · Inauguration of Herbert Hoover To: Mar 8, 1930 · Death of William Howard Taft |
3 | Hoover Coolidge Taft | 1 year, 4 days |
From: Mar 8, 1930 · Death of William Howard Taft To: Jan 5, 1933 · Death of Calvin Coolidge |
2 | Hoover Coolidge | 2 years, 303 days |
From: Jan 5, 1933 · Death of Calvin Coolidge To: Mar 4, 1933 · First inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt |
1 | Hoover | 58 days |
From: Mar 4, 1933 · First inauguration of Franklin D. Roosevelt To: Apr 12, 1945 · Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt and subsequent First inauguration of Harry S. Truman |
2 | F. D. Roosevelt Hoover | 12 years, 39 days |
From: Apr 12, 1945 · Death of Franklin D. Roosevelt and subsequent First inauguration of Harry S. Truman To: Jan 20, 1953 · First inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower |
2 | Truman Hoover | 7 years, 283 days |
From: Jan 20, 1953 · First inauguration of Dwight D. Eisenhower To: Jan 20, 1961 · Inauguration of John F. Kennedy |
3 | Eisenhower Truman Hoover | 8 years, 0 days |
From: Jan 20, 1961 · Inauguration of John F. Kennedy To: Nov 22, 1963 · Assassination of John F. Kennedy and subsequent First inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson |
4 | Kennedy Eisenhower Truman Hoover | 2 years, 306 days |
From: Nov 22, 1963 · Assassination of John F. Kennedy and subsequent First inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson To: Oct 20, 1964 · Death of Herbert Hoover |
4 | L. B. Johnson Eisenhower Truman Hoover | 333 days |
From: Oct 20, 1964 · Death of Herbert Hoover To: Jan 20, 1969 · First inauguration of Richard Nixon |
3 | L. B. Johnson Eisenhower Truman | 4 years, 92 days |
From: Jan 20, 1969 · First inauguration of Richard Nixon To: Mar 28, 1969 · Death of Dwight D. Eisenhower |
4 | Nixon L. B. Johnson Eisenhower Truman | 67 days |
From: Mar 28, 1969 · Death of Dwight D. Eisenhower To: Dec 26, 1972 · Death of Harry S. Truman |
3 | Nixon L. B. Johnson Truman | 3 years, 281 days |
From: Dec 26, 1972 · Death of Harry S. Truman To: Jan 22, 1973 · Death of Lyndon B. Johnson |
2 | Nixon L. B. Johnson | 27 days |
From: Jan 22, 1973 · Death of Lyndon B. Johnson To: Aug 9, 1974 · Inauguration of Gerald Ford |
1 | Nixon | 1 year, 199 days |
From: Aug 9, 1974 · Inauguration of Gerald Ford To: Jan 20, 1977 · Inauguration of Jimmy Carter |
2 | Ford Nixon | 2 years, 164 days |
From: Jan 20, 1977 · Inauguration of Jimmy Carter To: Jan 20, 1981 · First inauguration of Ronald Reagan |
3 | Carter Ford Nixon | 4 years, 0 days |
From: Jan 20, 1981 · First inauguration of Ronald Reagan To: Jan 20, 1989 · Inauguration of George H. W. Bush |
4 | Reagan Carter Ford Nixon | 8 years, 0 days |
From: Jan 20, 1989 · Inauguration of George H. W. Bush To: Jan 20, 1993 · First inauguration of Bill Clinton |
5 | G. H. W. Bush Reagan Carter Ford Nixon | 4 years, 0 days |
From: Jan 20, 1993 · First inauguration of Bill Clinton To: Apr 22, 1994 · Death of Richard Nixon |
6 | Clinton G. H. W. Bush Reagan Carter Ford Nixon | 1 year, 92 days |
From: Apr 22, 1994 · Death of Richard Nixon To: Jan 20, 2001 · First inauguration of George W. Bush |
5 | Clinton G. H. W. Bush Reagan Carter Ford | 6 years, 273 days |
From: Jan 20, 2001 · First inauguration of George W. Bush To: Jun 5, 2004 · Death of Ronald Reagan |
6 | G. W. Bush Clinton G. H. W. Bush Reagan Carter Ford | 3 years, 137 days |
From: Jun 5, 2004 · Death of Ronald Reagan To: Dec 26, 2006 · Death of Gerald Ford |
5 | G. W. Bush Clinton G. H. W. Bush Carter Ford | 2 years, 204 days |
From: Dec 26, 2006 · Death of Gerald Ford To: Jan 20, 2009 · First inauguration of Barack Obama |
4 | G. W. Bush Clinton G. H. W. Bush Carter | 2 years, 25 days |
From: Jan 20, 2009 · First inauguration of Barack Obama To: Jan 20, 2017 · Inauguration of Donald Trump |
5 | Obama G. W. Bush Clinton G. H. W. Bush Carter | 8 years, 0 days |
From: Jan 20, 2017 · Inauguration of Donald Trump To: Nov 30, 2018 · Death of George H. W. Bush |
6 | Trump Obama G. W. Bush Clinton G. H. W. Bush Carter | 1 year, 314 days |
From: Nov 30, 2018 · Death of George H. W. Bush To: (present) |
5 | Trump Obama G. W. Bush Clinton Carter | 1 year, 259 days |
Starting and ending events | Number living | names | Timespan | |
Sources:[1][2][3] |
Most and fewest living presidents
There have been four time periods with six living presidents (i.e., the incumbent and five former presidents):[4][5][6]
- March 1861 to January 1862 – Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and Abraham Lincoln
- January 1993 to April 1994 – Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, G. H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton (six consecutive presidents)
- January 2001 to June 2004 – Ford, Carter, Reagan, G. H. W. Bush, Clinton, and G. W. Bush (six consecutive presidents)
- January 2017 to November 2018 – Carter, G. H. W. Bush, Clinton, G. W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump
There have been six time periods when the incumbent president was the only living president, having no living predecessors:[7]
- April 1789 to March 1797 – George Washington, who, being the first president, had no predecessors
- December 1799 to March 1801 – John Adams, after the death of his only predecessor, George Washington
- July 1875 to March 1877 – Ulysses S. Grant, after the death of his last living predecessor, Andrew Johnson
- June 1908 to March 1909 – Theodore Roosevelt, after the death of his last living predecessor, Grover Cleveland
- January 1933 to March 1933 – Herbert Hoover, after the death of his last living predecessor, Calvin Coolidge
- January 1973 to August 1974 – Richard Nixon, after the death of his last living predecessor, Lyndon B. Johnson
Notably, Richard Nixon is the only person to have been both the only living U.S. president (from January 1973 to August 1974) and one of six living presidents (from January 1993 to April 1994).
Living presidents gallery
There have been several gatherings of all the living presidents. Below are photographs of groups of persons who, at one time or another, comprised all living presidents, although several of these photographs were taken prior to or after the time period in which the persons depicted were the only living presidents, and in some photos one of the presidents depicted had not yet formally taken office.
- 1901 to 1908 (from left):
- 1964 to 1969 (from left):
- 1969 to 1969 (from left):
- 1972 to 1973 (from left):
See also
References
- "Inauguration Ceremonies". .senate.gov. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Senate. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- "Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol". aoc.gov. Washington, D.C.: Architect of the Capitol. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- "U.S. Presidents Birth and Death Information". presidentsusa.net. Baaron's Hill. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
- Barone, Michael (January 23, 2017). "We have a record number of living ex-presidents". The Washington Examiner. Retrieved December 30, 2017.
- Murse, Tom. "How Many Presidents Are Still Alive? Here's a List". ThoughtCo. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- Thompson, Clay (January 10, 2009). "Hail to the chiefs! 6 is record for living presidents". archive.azcentral.com. Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
- Barone, Michael (January 17, 2017). "Six periods with no living ex-presidents". Washington Examiner. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
External links
- Library of Congress information: presidents, vice presidents