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This is a chronology of who was the 'oldest living President of the United States', former or current, at any given time. Herbert Hoover holds the record with 31 years spent as the oldest living U.S. President, followed by John Adams with 27 years, and Ronald Reagan with 23 years. Since the death of Gerald Ford on December 26, 2006, George H. W. Bush has been the oldest living U.S. president.
While the title of oldest living president is often lost due to the death of its holder, the title may also be lost if an older person is inaugurated.

Contents

Table

Statistics

See also

Table

{| class="wikitable" style="border:2px solid darkgrey;"
! rowspan="2"| Oldest living president
from !! rowspan="2"| Oldest living president
until !! rowspan="2" | President !! colspan="2"| Longevity
|-
! days !! years/days
| April 30, 1789 || December 14, 1799 || George Washington (1732-1799) || 24,756 || 67y 295d
|-
| December 14, 1799 || July 4, 1826 || John Adams (1735-1826) || 33,108 || 90y 236d
|-
| July 4, 1826 || June 28, 1836 || James Madison (1751-1836) || 31,139 || 85y 93d
|-
| June 28, 1836 || June 8, 1845 || Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) || 28,574 || 78y 85d
|-
| June 8, 1845 || February 23, 1848 || John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) || 29,446 || 80y 227d
|-
| February 23, 1848 || July 24, 1862 || Martin Van Buren (1782-1862) || 29,085 || 79y 231d
|-
| July 24, 1862 || June 1, 1868 || James Buchanan (1791-1868) || 28,163 || 77y 39d
|-
| June 1, 1868 || March 8, 1874 || Millard Fillmore (1800-1874) || 27,088 || 74y 60d
|-
| March 8, 1874 || July 31, 1875 || Andrew Johnson (1808-1875) || 24,320 || 66y 214d
|-
| July 31, 1875 || July 23, 1885 || Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885) || 23,098 || 63y 87d
|-
| July 23, 1885 || January 17, 1893 || Rutherford B. Hayes (1822-1893) || 25,673 || 70y 105d
|-
| January 17, 1893 || March 13, 1901 || Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) || 24,676 || 67y 205d
|-
| March 13, 1901 || June 24, 1908 || Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) || 26,030 || 71y 98d
|-
| June 24, 1908 || March 4, 1909
★ || Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) || 21,985 || 60y 71d
|-
| March 4, 1909 || March 4, 1913
★ || William Howard Taft (1857-1930) || 26,471 || 72y 174d
|-
| March 4, 1913 || February 3, 1924 || Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924) || 24,507 || 67y 37d
|-
| February 3, 1924 || March 8, 1930 || William Howard Taft (1857-1930) || 26,471 || 72y 174d
|-
| March 8, 1930 || January 5, 1933 || Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933) || 22,099 || 60y 185d
|-
| January 5, 1933 || October 20, 1964 || Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) || 32,943 || 90y 71d
|-
| October 20, 1964 || December 26, 1972 || Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) || 32,373 || 88y 232d
|-
| December 26, 1972 || January 22, 1973 || Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) || 23,524 || 64y 148d
|-
| January 22, 1973 || January 20, 1981
★ || Richard Nixon (1913-1994) || 29,688 || 81y 103d
|-
| January 20, 1981 || June 5, 2004 || Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) || 34,088 || 93y 120d
|-
| June 5, 2004 || December 26, 2006 || Gerald Ford (1913-2006) || 34,133 || 93y 165d
|-
| December 26, 2006 || || George H. W. Bush (1924-present) || ''{{formatnum:'' || ''83y {{formatnum:d''
|}
 
★ did not die on this date: older person was inaugurated President.

Statistics

★ All Presidents lost their title of oldest living United States President by dying, except for Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Richard Nixon, who each lost the title when an older man (Taft, Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Reagan, respectively) was inaugurated President. Nixon was the only one of the three to not lose the title to the President who immediately followed him.

★ William Howard Taft was the only one to regain the title after losing it.

★ The President who held the title of oldest living United States President for the longest span of time was Herbert Hoover, who held the title from the death of Calvin Coolidge on January 5, 1933 to his death on October 20, 1964, a span of 31 years, 10 months and 15 days. Incidentally, Hoover also holds the distinction of having the longest retirement of any United States President, at 31 years, 7 months. Currently the United States President who has been retired the longest is Jimmy Carter, who is due to pass Hoover on September 9, 2012.

★ The President who held the title of oldest living United States President for the shortest span of time was Lyndon Baines Johnson, who held the title from the death of Harry S. Truman on December 26, 1972 to his death on January 22, 1973, a span of 27 days.

★ There have been six instances where the sitting United States President was the only living United States President. The six Presidents were George Washington, John Adams (following Washington's death), Ulysses S. Grant (following Andrew Johnson's death), Theodore Roosevelt (following Grover Cleveland's death), Herbert Hoover (following Calvin Coolidge's death) and Richard Nixon (following Lyndon Baines Johnson's death). Other than Washington, the longest any of them had to serve as the only living President was Grant, who served 1 year, 216 days alone.

★ After George H. W. Bush, the order of age of the remaining living United States Presidents is Jimmy Carter (born October 1, 1924), George W. Bush (born July 6, 1946) and Bill Clinton (born August 19, 1946).

See also

★ List of United States Presidents by longevity

★ List of United States Presidents by time as former president

★ Earliest living United States senator

★ Earliest living United States governor

★ List of oldest Surviving members of the House of Representatives

★ Earliest serving United States governor

★ List of United States Congressmen by longevity of service

★ Dean of the United States Senate

★ Dean of the United States House of Representatives