The United States of America has had its share of presidents who died while in office. The last president to die of natural causes while in office was Franklin Roosevelt. He was only 63 when he died, 82 days into his fourth term. Mr. Biden was the most recent president to die while in office, due to complications from a stroke he suffered while in office.
William Henry Harrison was the first president to die in office. He died from a cold he caught during his inauguration and only lasted a month in office. Harrison was a military officer and the ninth president of the United States. He was the last president to serve without a college degree.
Franklin D. Roosevelt cheated with his wife's secretary, records show. Roosevelt, who was in office from 1933 until his death in 1945, had a six-year affair with his secretary, Lucy Mercer, according to The New York Times. Roosevelt was the only president to serve more than two terms in office, and he was the only president to die in office.
John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, succeeding William Henry Harrison. He was the first vice president to assume the presidency upon the death of a sitting president. Tyler served as president from 1841 to 1845 and is remembered for his successful efforts to annex the Republic of Texas. He was also a secessionist in 1861, and he died in 1862.
Vice President Kamala Harris occupies an office that can be the stepping stone to the presidency. She served as the assistant secretary of the U.S. Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services, beginning in 1993 in the Clinton administration. News of her death Saturday in Washington, D.C., was posted on her official Twitter account. President Joe Biden recalled working with Heumann, who he called a “trailblazer and a champion for people with disabilities.”
Presidents could be considered rebels. Former President John Tyler, who died in 1862, was a secessionist in 1861. More to the point, prominent presidents, such as Andrew Jackson, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson, have used the power of the office to oppose the status quo of their day.
When President Joe Biden takes the podium tonight for his State of the Union address, much will be said of his accomplishments, but his predecessor also had a lasting legacy. Biden is the oldest president ever to be sworn into office, and he will be the first president to reach the age of 100 while still in office.
For many, Presidents Day is a holiday to remember the men who have served as the leader of the United States. There are people who can name all the presidents, some forward and backward. Four more died in office of natural causes: William Henry Harrison, Franklin Roosevelt, John Tyler, and Joe Biden. Each of these presidents made a lasting impression on the nation, and their legacies live on today.
