The 10 Shortest Presidential Administrations

George Washington set the precedent for two-term presidencies, an accomplishment that most subsequent presidents have tried to achieve. Running for a second term has been so popular, in fact, that only three presidents in U.S. history—Rutherford B. Hayes, James Buchanan, and James Polk—chose not to seek one. But only about 21 presidents actually won reelection to a second term, so what happened to the others?

12 presidents served only one full term—they couldn't secure their party's support, or simply lost the general election—while 10 served even less than that, falling far short of the four-year mark.

See those 10 presidents, arranged from longest to shortest stints in the Oval Office, below.

John Tyler

Years in office: 3.92

John Tyler became the first president to reach the presidency without being elected when incumbent William Henry Harrison died in office. There were ambiguities about whether the vice president should become president or acting president upon a president's death or resignation, so Tyler set a precedent by moving into the White House, taking the oath of office, and assuming full presidential responsibilities.

The process for presidential succession, however, was not formalized until the 25th Amendment was adopted in 1967. Although Tyler started campaigning for reelection, he withdrew his name due to a lack of support from his party.

Andrew Johnson

Years in office: 3.86

Bill Clinton is likely the president who is best-known for being impeached, but it happened to Andrew Johnson as well. And unlike Clinton, Lincoln's successor was only acquitted in the Senate by one vote. The impeachment arose because Johnson failed to give former slaves protection in the post-Civil-War era. Although he managed to stay in office to see out the rest of his term, Johnson did not have the support he needed to secure a party nomination for reelection.

Chester A. Arthur

Years in office: 3.46

Chester A. Arthur had a reputation as a member of the New York City political machine when he entered office upon President Garfield's assassination in 1881, but he improved upon his public perception by advocating civil service reform and passing the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which mandated that government jobs be awarded on the basis of merit, not connections. Arthur was suffering from poor health by the end of his term and did not secure his party's nomination for reelection.

John F. Kennedy

Years in office: 2.83

John F. Kennedy had served just under three years in office when he was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963. While scholars say that Kennedy was slow to provide support for the growing civil rights movement in America, he was widely popular among the American public and is still well-known for his adept handling of the Cold War's Cuban Missile Crisis.

Millard Fillmore

Years in office: 2.67

A member of the Whig party who took office upon Zachary Taylor's death in 1850, Millard Fillmore was the last non-Republican or Democratic president in U.S. history. Although Fillmore was moderately anti-slavery, he didn't support abolition in territories that were won in the Mexican-American War. He was able to briefly defuse rising tensions over slavery in the North and South with the Compromise of 1850, but it wasn't enough to secure him the Whig party nomination for reelection in 1852.

Warren G. Harding

Years in office: 2.42

Warren G. Harding was elected Post WWI, largely upon his promise for a “return to normalcy.” Although he is appreciated today for his modern views—he enacted the first child welfare program, supported an eight-hour workday, and advocated an anti-lynching bill—he's one of the bottom-ranking presidents due to the allegations of corruption and favoritism in his administration, as well as for the Teapot Dome Scandal.

Harding was planning to run for reelection in 1924, but died of unknown causes in 1923. Some believe it was suicide, others think he may have been poisoned, but the most realistic possibility is heart failure.

Gerald Ford

Years in office: 2.42

Gerald Ford entered the White House under difficult circumstances after Nixon's resignation, and received immediate criticism for his decision to pardon Nixon's role in the Watergate scandal. Ford also presided over the worst economy since the Great Depression, but did sign the Helsinki Accords and achieved a relatively solid record in foreign affairs. Although he secured the Republican nomination for reelection, he ultimately lost the election to Jimmy Carter.

Zachary Taylor

Years in office: 1.33

Zachary Taylor was a general in the United States Army and became a national hero through several victories in the Mexican-American War. Tensions over slavery were rising during his time as president, but he passed away in 1850 before he could make much progress.

James A. Garfield

Years in office: .54

James A. Garfield's presidency only lasted 200 days. In that short time, he made several notable federal appointments—including African Americans to high-ranking positions—and introduced a civil service reform act that would be signed into law by his predecessor, Chester A. Arthur. Although Garfield's presidency technically lasted 200 days, the president was shot about four months into his presidency and remained in a coma until he passed away on July 2, 1881.

William Henry Harrison

Years in office: .08

Former Army General William Henry Harrison survived hardly a month into his term, passing away 32 days in. It's been thought that the president caught pneumonia after delivering a two-hour inaugural address on a cold, wet day, wearing no coat, hat, or gloves. A recent analysis, however, indicates that the president died of typhoid, which he likely caught by a marsh near the White House.

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