WILLIAM Henry Harrison was president for one month and became the first US leader to die in office.
He was the oldest person to be elected president at the time.
Which US president only served 31 days in office?
William Henry Harrison was the ninth president of the US and served from March 4, 1841, until his death on April 4, 1841.
It is the shortest term of any president in US history.
If Vice President Mike Pence succeeds Donald Trump as president before Joe Biden's inauguration, he would set a new standard for shortest presidential tenures.
Who was William Henry Harrison?
Harrison was a military officer and politician who was born on February 9, 1773, in Virginia.
He studied classics and history at Hampden-Sydney College, then studied medicine in Richmond.
However, when he was still a teen Harrison switched to a military career path in 1791.
Harrison performed heroically during the War of 1812 and would return to civilian life. He was nominated for a run for president in 1840 and won by a majority of less than 150,000 but dominated the Electoral College, 234-60.
Why did William Henry Harrison only serve 31 days as president?
Harrison became the first president to die in office when he passed away on April 4, 1841.
Harrison was 68.
He left behind a widow, Anna, and three surviving children.
Grandson Benjamin became the 23rd president of the US in 1889.
Benjamin Harris would serve his full term, but lost his re-election bid.
How did William Henry Harrison die?
The last president born as an English subject, Harrison died of pneumonia.
Many people believe that Harrison's death is linked to his inauguration speech, which took nearly two hours in freezing conditions.
Additionally, Harrison declined to wear his overcoat, hat, and gloves while speaking as president for the first time.
However, Harrison did not become sick until three weeks after inauguration, according to History.com.
Jane McHugh and Dr Philip Mackowiak of the University of Maryland School of Medicine wrote in 2014 that the president likely died from enteric fever, and "not from a fatal chill contracted during the inauguration," according to History.com.
They believed "contaminated" drinking water may have led to Harrison's death.
"Before 1850, the sewage of Washington, DC, was dumped in a fetid marsh just seven blocks upstream from the White House’s water supply, and the researchers surmised that bacteria seeped into the drinking water and caused the president’s severe gastroenteritis," according to History.com.
"Harrison’s history of dyspepsia put him at additional risk to the tainted water, which the authors noted may have also contributed to the death of another president, Zachary Taylor."
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