1800 William Harrison is elected governor of the Indiana Territory.

1813 Harrison wins a decisive victory a the Battle of Thames during the war of 1812.

1824 Harrison is elected to U.S. Senate. 1840 Harrison is elected president.

1841 Harrison dies one month after his inauguration, becoming the first President to die in office.

1841 John Tylor becomes President.

1888 Benjamin Harrison, grandson of William is elected President.

William Henry Harrison
March 4 - April 4, 1841
9th President

William Henry Harrison was born in Berkeley, Virginia on February 9, 1775

He is one of seven Presidents from Virginia.

President William Harrison belonged to the Whig Political Party.

William Henry Harrison served in the Indian wars in the NW territory, War of 1812.

William was the first and only President who studied to become a doctor.

Description: William Henry Harrison
Library of Congress

Harrison's inaugural address was the longest of any president. (one hour and 40 minutes in the cold, he caught a cold that day that led to his death.) (some sources say his speech was 105 minutes.) He gave the speech without wearing a coat, hat or gloves.

President Harrison had a billy goat at the White House during the short period he was there.

William Harrison had a dog named Dask.

President Harrison was a famous war hero in the Battle of Tippecoanoe. The campaign slogan was "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too."

William Harrison was the first presidential candidate to "stump." That was the word for going out and giving speeches during the campaign. Often the candidate would stand on a tree stump so he could over look the crowd.

Three men served as President in 1841. Van Buren completed his term. Harrison served one month and his Vice President, John Tyler became President. This only happened during one other year.

William Harrison had the shortest term as President. He served 1 month (31 days). He was the first president to die in office.

William Henry Harrison's term was so short that his wife who was ill at the time of the inauguration never moved to Washington D.C.

Harrison was 68 when he was elected. He was the oldest man before Ronald Reagan to be inaugurated president.

In 1840, 78% of voters went to the polls to vote. That was the highest percentage to ever vote. It was the first election that the winner had over one million votes.

President Harrison was the only president who had a grandson become president, William Henry Harrison.

He couldn't shake hands at his inauguration because they were so sore from handshaking on the campaign trail.

William Harrison died in Washington D.C. on April 4, 1841. He was 68 years and 54 days old. William was the first President to lie in state in the White House. He is buried in the William Henry Harrison Memorial State Park, North Bend, Ohio. William Harrison and Zachary Taylor are the only Presidents who died in the White House.

Quotes from Benjamin Harrison:
"We Americans have no commission from God to police the world." (1888)

"I'd rather have a bullet inside of me than to be living in constant dread of one."
1889, As I Knew Them, p. 149

Quick Notes

9th President March 4 - April 4, 1841

Born: Berkeley, Va., Feb. 9, 1775

Party: Whig

Died: Washington, DC April 4, 1841, age 68

References:

• The Presidents of the United States. 22 September 2004
• Davis, Gibbs and Ilus. David A. Johnson. Wackiest White House Pets. New York: Scholastic Press, October 2004
• James, Barber and Amy Pastan. Smithsonian Presidents and First Ladies. New York: DK Publishing, 2002
• Harnsberger, Caroline Thomas. Treasury of Presidential Quotations. Chicago: Follett Publishing Company, 1964
• Kane, Joseph Natan. Facts about the Presidents from Washington to Johnson. New York: H.W. Wilson Company, 1964.
• National Park Service Web Site on Presidential Trivia: http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/pres/trivia.htm.

Additional Sources:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents
http://www.historyplace.com/specials/portraits/presidents/index.html
www.freep.com
http://www.umkc.edu/imc/prestriv.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/4062/trivia.html
http://www.freep.com/news/inaug/trivia/index.htm
http://www.ipl.org/div/potus/

If you have comments or corrections, please send them to jim@anewadventure.org.