Here are all nine of the US presidents who became president without having been elected president. This list features four vice presidents who were sworn in after their commanders in chief were assassinated, four who were inaugurated after their presidents died of illness, and one who became president because of two resignations. If you ever wanted to know which man was never elected president of the United States, this list is for you. Â
Can you name all the presidents who weren't elected? This isn't to say that these guys were never elected - in fact, several of them followed up their short terms with full second terms. More commonly, however, vice presidents who assumed the Oval Office (well, the ones after it was built in 1909) were met with contention within their own party, not to mention political opponents. Read these interesting facts and share them with your friends tonight. You will be the life of the party.
10th President, inaugurated in April 1841 - vice president to William Henry Harrison, who died of complications from pneumonia on his 32nd day in office. The first ever non-elected president, Tyler's opponents regularly called him "His Accidency" and addressed correspondences to him as "Vice President" or "Acting President" (letters which he returned unopened).
When his term ended in 1845, he did not seek election.
13th President, inaugurated in July 1850 - vice president to Zachary Taylor, who died of an attack of cholera one year and four months into his term.
Though he wanted to serve as president again, Fillmore lost the Whig Party's nomination to General Winfield Scott - who then lost the 1852 election to democrat Franklin Pierce.
17th president, inaugurated April 15, 1865 - vice president to Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated one month into his second term.
In 1868, amidst the high tension of the Radical Reconstruction of the South, Johnson became the first ever US president to be impeached. He was eventually acquitted of all charges and sought and lost the Democratic nomination for the 1868 election.
26th president, inaugurated September 14, 1901 - vice president of William McKinley, who was assassinated six months into his second term.
Considered one of the best US presidents of all time, Roosevelt easily won a second term in a landslide victory during the 1904 election. He also had the support of the public during the 1912 primary, but lost the nomination to William Howard Taft, the favorite of GOP party leaders.
30th president, inaugurated August 2, 1923 - vice president to Warren G. Harding, who died following a respiratory illness after two years and four months in office.
When his first term was up, Coolidge easily won the 1924 election, securing just about every state outside of the South.
