![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
calimacNot the one who served in office at the greatest age, but the individual with the greatest lifespan.
For two centuries, the answer was John Adams, the second President, who served 1797-1801. He was born Oct. 30, 1735, and died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826, at the age of 90 years, 8 months, 4 days. His last words were, "Thomas Jefferson still survives," which in fact was not true, though there's no way he could have known it. Astonishingly, Jefferson had died earlier that same day.
Herbert Hoover (served 1929-1933) also lived to be over 90. He was born Aug. 10, 1874, and died Oct. 20, 1964: 90 years, 2 months, 10 days. When asked in later years what had most satisfied him about his post-presidential career, he is supposed to have said, "I outlived the bastards."
But in 2001 - on October 12th, if I've calculated this correctly (in number of days, not months + days) - the answer changed. Ronald Reagan (born Feb. 6, 1911) became the longest-lived President. Unfortunately, Mr. Reagan was in no position to appreciate his longevity.
He died on June 5, 2004, at 93 years and 4 months minus one day (93 years, 119 days to be precise), and that means that, as of today, November 12, 2006, the longest-lived President ever is:
Gerald R. Ford (born July 14, 1913). (Today is actually 121, not 120, days since his birthday, but Reagan gets an extra day because he lived through leap day 1912, which Ford didn't. Aren't you glad I remembered that?)
Ford has had health problems in recent years - he's had some strokes, walks with a cane, and wears a pacemaker - but he's reported to be doing pretty well in the circumstances. Here's a recent photo of him, flanked by his wife and by some other guy. Happy - uh - longevity day, or whatever it should be called, Mr. President.
For two centuries, the answer was John Adams, the second President, who served 1797-1801. He was born Oct. 30, 1735, and died on the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1826, at the age of 90 years, 8 months, 4 days. His last words were, "Thomas Jefferson still survives," which in fact was not true, though there's no way he could have known it. Astonishingly, Jefferson had died earlier that same day.
Herbert Hoover (served 1929-1933) also lived to be over 90. He was born Aug. 10, 1874, and died Oct. 20, 1964: 90 years, 2 months, 10 days. When asked in later years what had most satisfied him about his post-presidential career, he is supposed to have said, "I outlived the bastards."
But in 2001 - on October 12th, if I've calculated this correctly (in number of days, not months + days) - the answer changed. Ronald Reagan (born Feb. 6, 1911) became the longest-lived President. Unfortunately, Mr. Reagan was in no position to appreciate his longevity.
He died on June 5, 2004, at 93 years and 4 months minus one day (93 years, 119 days to be precise), and that means that, as of today, November 12, 2006, the longest-lived President ever is:
Gerald R. Ford (born July 14, 1913). (Today is actually 121, not 120, days since his birthday, but Reagan gets an extra day because he lived through leap day 1912, which Ford didn't. Aren't you glad I remembered that?)
Ford has had health problems in recent years - he's had some strokes, walks with a cane, and wears a pacemaker - but he's reported to be doing pretty well in the circumstances. Here's a recent photo of him, flanked by his wife and by some other guy. Happy - uh - longevity day, or whatever it should be called, Mr. President.
