Will Bush Beat Ford in November?

Gerald Ford –  the only president never elected as president or vice president – holds the record for presidential longevity.  He died on December 26, 2006 at 93 years, 165 days.

Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush

November 25, 2017:  But George H.W. Bush is just months away from eclipsing the 38th president’s record.  Should he live, the elder Bush will become the nation’s oldest former president just days after Thanksgiving this year.  On November 25, 2017, Bush would become the oldest former president.

Carter close behind: Jimmy Carter isn’t far behind and will turn 93 on October 1, 2017.

John Adams’ 175 year record:  For most of the nation’s history, our second president, John Adams, held the record for living the longest life.  Adams passed away on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, at 90 years, 247 days.  But what made his death even more notable than his advanced years was that his friend and successor in the presidency, Thomas Jefferson, also died on the same day.  Surprisingly, Adams’ record stood for more than 175 years until Ronald Reagan passed him on October 12, 2001.  Reagan died on June 5, 2004 at 93 years, 120 days.

Living past 70:  Of the 44 men who have served as president, a little over half (24) have lived into their 70s and beyond.

• 13 into their 70s:  Thirteen presidents lived into their 70s (James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Rutherford Hayes, Grover Cleveland, William Howard Taft, Dwight Eisenhower, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Donald Trump). President Trump celebrated his 71st birthday on June 14, 2017.

• 5 into their 80s:  Five presidents have lived into their 80s: Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Harry Truman, and Richard Nixon.

• 6 into their 90s:  Six presidents have lived into their 90s: John Adams, Herbert Hoover, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.