Apropos of nothing, I wanted to figure out when we had the largest number of living presidents.  I probably could have found this list somewhere, but tinkered around and assembled it myself.  It shows the total number of presidents, the date range for that set of presidents, and the presidents.

 

Largest number living at a time was 6, which we've had three times - first in 1861, from Lincoln's inauguration until John Tyler died (in January 1862), then not again until 1993, from Clinton's inauguration until Nixon's death (in April 1994), and then in 2001, from Bush's election until Reagan's death (in June 2004).  And the fewest presidents - we've had only one living president (meaning only the current president, no former presidents still alive) six different times - Washington, John Adams, Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, Hoover and Nixon.

 

To keep things straight, I assumed all presidential transfers happened at midnight - for example, even though Kennedy died 11/22, I don't count LBJ's term as starting until 11/23.

 

Presidents Begin End Presidents

1 03/04/1789 03/03/1797 Washington

2 03/04/1797 12/14/1799 Washington, J. Adams

1 12/15/1799 03/03/1801 J. Adams

2 03/04/1801 03/03/1809 J. Adams, Jefferson

3 03/04/1809 03/03/1817 J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison

4 03/04/1817 03/03/1825 J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe

5 03/04/1825 07/04/1826 J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams

3 07/05/1826 03/03/1829 Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams

4 03/04/1829 07/04/1831 Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson

3 07/05/1831 06/28/1836 Madison, J. Q. Adams, Jackson

2 06/29/1836 03/03/1837 J. Q. Adams, Jackson

3 03/04/1837 03/03/1841 J. Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren

4 03/04/1841 04/04/1841 J. Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, W. H. Harrison

4 04/05/1841 03/03/1845 J. Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Tyler

5 03/04/1845 06/08/1845 J. Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Tyler, Polk

4 06/09/1845 02/23/1848 J. Q. Adams, Van Buren, Tyler, Polk

3 02/24/1848 03/03/1849 Van Buren, Tyler, Polk

4 03/04/1849 06/15/1849 Van Buren, Tyler, Polk, Taylor

3 06/16/1849 07/09/1850 Van Buren, Tyler, Taylor

3 07/10/1850 03/03/1853 Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore

4 03/04/1853 03/03/1857 Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce

5 03/04/1857 03/03/1861 Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan

6 03/04/1861 01/18/1862 Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln

5 01/19/1862 07/24/1862 Van Buren, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln

4 07/25/1862 04/15/1865 Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, Lincoln

4 04/16/1865 06/01/1868 Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, A. Johnson

3 06/02/1868 03/03/1869 Fillmore, Pierce, A. Johnson

4 03/04/1869 10/08/1869 Fillmore, Pierce, A. Johnson, Grant

3 10/09/1869 03/08/1874 Fillmore, A. Johnson, Grant

2 03/09/1874 07/31/1875 A. Johnson, Grant

1 08/01/1875 03/03/1877 Grant

2 03/04/1877 03/03/1881 Grant, Hayes

3 03/04/1881 09/19/1881 Grant, Hayes, Garfield

3 09/20/1881 03/03/1885 Grant, Hayes, Arthur

4 03/04/1885 07/23/1885 Grant, Hayes, Arthur, Cleveland

3 07/24/1885 11/18/1886 Hayes, Arthur, Cleveland

2 11/19/1886 03/03/1889 Hayes, Cleveland

3 03/04/1889 01/17/1893 Hayes, Cleveland, B. Harrison

2 01/18/1893 03/03/1897 Cleveland, B. Harrison

3 03/04/1897 03/13/1901 Cleveland, B. Harrison, McKinley

2 03/14/1901 09/14/1901 Cleveland, McKinley

2 09/15/1901 06/24/1908 Cleveland, T. Roosevelt

1 06/25/1908 03/03/1909 T. Roosevelt

2 03/04/1909 03/03/1913 T. Roosevelt, Taft

3 03/04/1913 01/06/1919 T. Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson

2 01/07/1919 03/03/1921 Taft, Wilson

3 03/04/1921 03/03/1923 Taft, Wilson, Harding

4 03/04/1923 08/02/1923 Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge

3 08/03/1923 02/03/1924 Taft, Wilson, Coolidge

2 02/04/1924 03/03/1929 Taft, Coolidge

3 03/04/1929 03/08/1930 Taft, Coolidge, Hoover

2 03/09/1930 01/05/1933 Coolidge, Hoover

1 01/06/1933 03/03/1933 Hoover

2 03/04/1933 04/12/1945 Hoover, F. D. Roosevelt

2 04/13/1945 01/19/1953 Hoover, Truman

3 01/20/1953 01/19/1961 Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower

4 01/20/1961 11/22/1963 Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy

4 11/23/1963 10/20/1964 Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, L. B. Johnson

3 10/21/1964 01/19/1969 Truman, Eisenhower, L. B. Johnson

4 01/20/1969 03/28/1969 Truman, Eisenhower, L. B. Johnson, Nixon

3 03/29/1969 12/26/1972 Truman, L. B. Johnson, Nixon

2 12/27/1972 01/22/1973 L. B. Johnson, Nixon

1 01/23/1973 08/09/1974 Nixon

2 08/10/1974 01/19/1977 Nixon, Ford

3 01/20/1977 01/19/1981 Nixon, Ford, Carter

4 01/20/1981 01/19/1989 Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan

5 01/20/1989 01/19/1993 Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush

6 01/20/1993 04/22/1994 Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton

5 04/23/1994 01/19/2001 Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton

6 01/20/2001 06/05/2004 Ford, Carter, Reagan, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, G. W. Bush

5 06/06/2004 11/25/2005 Ford, Carter, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, G. W. Bush

 

wow, interesting.......thanks for the research

Why don't we ever hear anything from Ford?

 

    Ford is on television from time to time, usually invited to comment on issues of his presidency and that of Nixon's.

 

    I have a newspaper photo of Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush walking side by side. This may have been the first time five presidents had ever been together, as political differences in the past kept former ones apart. The funny thing was that Reagan was the oldest, even older than Nixon.

 

  Another interesting tidbit is that from 1933 to 1961 there were only three acting presidients: FDR, Truman, and Eisenhower. No wonder Kennedy was so popular. Not only was he young, but people must have been ready for a new president!

 

    Presidents fans and those who enjoy scavenger hunts may enjoy this site:      http://www.diplom.org/manus/

This looks like something I'd waste time doing!

 

It's interesting that, until Clinton, there hadn't been 6 living presidents since 1862.  This piece of useless small-talk will be great for inane Christmas get-together chatter.  Thanks!

This looks like something I'd waste time doing!

 

It's interesting that, until Clinton, there hadn't been 6 living presidents since 1862.  This piece of useless small-talk will be great for inane Christmas get-together chatter.  Thanks!

 

mama grasscat will be wowed by your knowledge!

Interesting... my grandparents and I were just wondering about this the other day.  Thanks for the timely post, RV!

can you compile a similar database for Ohio governors?

I can look around for the data...if it's handy, it isn't too hard to put together.  If you know of a link, post it, and I'll play with it tomorrow or over the weekend...going to bed now, though!

5   06/06/2004   12/23/2006   Ford, Carter, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, G. W. Bush

4   12/24/2006   Present        Carter, G.H.W. Bush, Clinton, G. W. Bush

 

I'm always up for more dead presidents; especially without doing anything.

I'm always up for more dead presidents; especially without doing anything.

 

You prefer Jacksons or Grants? ;-)