Who was president for 30 minutes?

Asked by: Elaina Lindgren  |  Last update: March 5, 2026
Score: 4.2/5 (74 votes)

No U.S. President served only 30 minutes, but William Henry Harrison holds the record for the shortest presidency, dying after just 30 days (and roughly 30 minutes past the 30-day mark) in office in 1841, from complications like pneumonia after a long, cold inauguration speech. He was sworn in on March 4, 1841, and died on April 4, 1841, serving the shortest term in U.S. history.

Which president was only president for 30 days?

William Henry Harrison. William Henry Harrison, an American military officer and politician, was the ninth President of the United States (1841), the oldest President to be elected at the time. On his 32nd day, he became the first to die in office, serving the shortest tenure in U.S. Presidential history.

Who was president for 45 minutes?

Pedro Lascuráin was president of Mexico for only about 45 minutes on February 19, 1913, holding the record for the world's shortest presidency in a calculated move during a coup where he was next in the line of succession and briefly took power to appoint the coup's leader, Victoriano Huerta, as his successor before resigning.
 

Who was the president who served for 30 days?

William Henry Harrison is known as the president with the longest inauguration speech, and the shortest term – he was Commander in Chief for only 30 days, 12 hours, and 30 minutes.

Who was president for 24 hours?

David Rice Atchison has the singular honor of having served as U.S. President for one day. In 1830 he moved to Liberty, Missouri, and set up a law practice there.

Every US President Explained in 25 Minutes

41 related questions found

Who was the only 3 time president?

In the 1940 and 1944 presidential elections, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the only president to be elected for a third and fourth term, giving rise to concerns about a president serving unlimited terms.

Who was president for only one day?

A plaque affixed to a statue in Plattsburg, Missouri, reads, "David Rice Atchison, 1807–1886, President of United States One Day." The day of Atchison's presumed presidency was March 4, 1849.

Who was president for 200 days?

James Garfield Memorial located at Lake View Cemetery in Cleveland, OH. Garfield served as the 20th President of the United States in 1881. His presidency only lasted 200 days, which is the 2nd shortest presidency in American History.

Who served as president 11 times?

Antonio López de Santa Anna, a military and political leader who served as president eleven times during the course of his remarkable career, was the central figure in Mexican public life during the second quarter of the nineteenth century.

Which president only served for 30 days?

William Henry Harrison. William Henry Harrison, we hardly knew ye. Harrison holds the inglorious distinction of having had the shortest presidential term, as he died of pneumonia after just 30 days in office.

Who ran for president 8 times?

Lyndon LaRouche U.S. presidential campaigns. Lyndon LaRouche's United States presidential campaigns were a controversial staple of American politics between 1976 and 2004. LaRouche ran for president on eight consecutive occasions, a record for any candidate, and tied Harold Stassen's record as a perennial candidate.

What president ate cherries and milk and died?

President Zachary Taylor (the 12th U.S. President) died in 1850 after consuming a large bowl of cherries and cold milk, along with iced water, on a hot Fourth of July, leading to severe gastrointestinal issues like gastroenteritis, possibly from bacterial contamination in the food or ice, rather than just the cherries and milk themselves. His illness and subsequent death within days were attributed to this meal and the unsanitary conditions of the era, though rumors of poisoning persisted.
 

Who was the first president to reach 100?

Jimmy Carter had the longest lifespan of any president, becoming the first president to reach the age of 100. James K. Polk had the shortest retirement of any president, dying of cholera only 103 days after leaving office, at age 53, and the youngest to die of natural causes.

Which president fathered 15 children?

John Tyler, the 10th U.S. President, had the most children of any American president, fathering 15 children across two marriages: eight with his first wife, Letitia Christian, and seven with his second wife, Julia Gardiner, with his last child born when he was 70 years old. 

Which president had the first 100 days?

During his first 100 days as president, Roosevelt spearheaded unprecedented federal legislation and directed the federal government during most of the Great Depression, implementing the New Deal, building the New Deal coalition, and realigning American politics into the Fifth Party System.

Who became president two times?

Rajendra Prasad, the first president of India, is the only person to have held office for two terms. Seven presidents have been members of a political party before being elected. Six of these were active party members of the Indian National Congress.

What is Santa Anna famous for?

Santa Anna gained much prestige in 1829 when he fought against Spain's attempt to reconquer Mexico, and he became known as the Hero of Tampico. This surge of glory helped him gain the presidency in 1833 as a Federalist and opponent of the Roman Catholic Church; in actuality, however, he established a centralized state.

Which president ended slavery in Mexico?

Vicente Guerrero, Mexico's second president and the first Black president in North America, abolished slavery in Mexico with the Guerrero Decree on September 15, 1829, freeing enslaved people across the republic, years before the United States did, though exceptions were made for the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and northern frontier initially.
 

Who is the most educated president in U.S. history?

The most educated U.S. President is Woodrow Wilson, the only one to earn a Ph.D., which he received in History and Political Science from Johns Hopkins University, also serving as President of Princeton University before his presidency. Other highly educated presidents include James Madison (Princeton, Law), John Quincy Adams (Harvard), John Adams (Harvard), and modern presidents like Barack Obama (Columbia, Harvard Law) and George W. Bush (Yale, Harvard MBA), but Wilson's doctorate sets him apart academically.
 

Is Death by Lightning a true story?

Yes, the Netflix series Death by Lightning is based on the true story of President James A. Garfield's assassination by disgruntled office seeker Charles Guiteau, but as a historical drama, it takes creative liberties with dialogue and specific interactions, though the core events and characters are real. The show dramatizes the bizarre, true events surrounding Garfield's election and assassination in 1881, drawing from Candice Millard's book Destiny of the Republic.
 

Who was the first longest President of India?

Rajendra Prasad was the first president of India. He is also the longest serving president of India from 1950-62.

Which president was only president for 40 days?

William Henry Harrison was president for only 31 days in 1841, the shortest term in U.S. history, dying from pneumonia just a month after his inauguration, making him the first president to die in office and sparking constitutional questions about succession.
 

Who was the first president to come to India?

Dr. Rajendra Prasad. Dr. Rajendra Prasad served as the first President of India, holding the office from January 26, 1950, until May 13, 1962.

Which man was president twice but not in a row?

After losing the 1888 presidential election despite being the incumbent, Grover Cleveland returned for another chance at the Presidency in 1892 as the Democratic nominee. Cleveland defeated incumbent President Benjamin Harrison in 1892 to become the first president elected for two non-consecutive terms.