Presidential Trivia Answers (March 1 & 2)

Thanks for playing!

(1) QUESTION: Of our first seven Presidents, who was the youngest when he took office? HT to my fellow Electoral College expert John Fortier for the question idea. :)

ANSWER: George Washington. Surprised? Our mental picture of him is as one of the older Founders, but he was 57 when he was inaugurated. The first seven President’s ages, from oldest to youngest, are:

• Andrew Jackson (61 years, 354 days)

• John Adams (61 years, 125 days)

• James Monroe (58 years, 310 days)

• James Madison (57 years, 353 days)

• Thomas Jefferson (57 years, 325 days)

• John Quincy Adams (57 years, 236 days)

• George Washington (57 years 67 days)

(2) QUESTION: True or False? Our 9th President, William Henry Harrison, was the oldest President when he was sworn in. He held that record for nearly 140 years.

ANSWER: True. He was 68 years old when he was inaugurated in March 1841. All subsequent Presidents were younger until January 1981: Ronald Reagan was 69 years old when he was sworn in. Of course, since then, the record has been beaten twice, first by Donald Trump (70 years, 220 days old on January 20, 2017), then by Joe Biden (78 years, 61 days old on January 20, 2021). Yes, Donald Trump would (barely) beat that record if elected to a second term. He will be 78 years, 220 days old on January 20.

(3) QUESTION: What is the median age for all Presidents on the day of their inauguration? Bonus points if you know the median age for second inaugurations.

ANSWER: According to the Pew Research Center, the media age for Presidents at their first inauguration is 55. The median age for second inaugurations is 58.