A wee slice of American history...............

The trivia buffs amongst us may choose to remember the answer to this little quiz:  Name, and rank, the shortest-serving Presidents of the United States.

1.  William Henry Harrison (1771-1841).  The eighth president, elected in 1841, he died after serving only 31 days.

2.  James A. Garfield (1831-1851).  The twentieth president, elected in 1881, he was assassinated after serving for only 199 days.

3.  Zachary Taylor (1784-1850).  The twelfth president, elected in 1849, he died after serving 491 days in office.

4.  Warren G. Harding (1865-1923).  The twenty-ninth president, elected in 1921, he died after serving 881 days in office.

5.  Gerald R. Ford (1913-2006).  The thirty-eighth president, Ford was serving in the U. S. House of Representative when he was named Vice President upon the resignation of Spiro Agnew in October of 1973.  When Richard Nixon resigned the presidency in August of 1974, Ford became president.  He was defeated in the next election by Jimmy Carter, who took office in 1977.  Ford served for 895 days.

6.  Millard Fillmore (1800-1874).  The thirteenth president, Fillmore took office upon the death of Zachary Taylor in 1850.  He completed that term, but was not re-nominated to a run at a term of his own.  He served for 969 days.

7.  John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1917-1963).  The thirty-sixth president, Kennedy defeated Richard Nixon in the election of 1960 and took office in 1961.  Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963 after serving 1,036 days in office.

For what it is worth, eleven presidents were in office for 2,922 days (two full terms).  Franklin Delano Roosevelt served the longest term, 4,422 days.  George Washington served two full terms, but his first term was shorted by 57 days, as Congress had not yet reached quorum status.  Now you know.