How many former US presidents are still alive and when did they serve their terms? Carter, Bush, Clinton, Obama…

On November 6, 2024By Littum

It is Election Day in the United States. Millions of voters will go to polling stations to cast their vote Donald Trump and Kamala Harris neck and neck in the presidential election. Trump is seeking to return to the Oval Office — a feat only one previous president has accomplished. Franklin D. Rooseveltthe 32nd US president, served from January 1933, through the Great Depression and then the war years until his death in April 1945. In all, FDR served three full terms and two months of a fourth – 4,422 days as head of state.

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A total of 46 men have served as President of the United States – George Washington was the first and Joe Biden the most recent. Let’s take a look at how many are still with us.

Jimmy Carter

Peanut farmer Jimmy Carter celebrated his 100th birthday just a few weeks ago. James Earl Carter Jr, son of Earl Carter, a peanut stockist, was born on October 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. Carter entered politics after serving in the US Navy. A Democrat, he ran as a candidate in the 1976 election against Republican President Gerald Ford. Carter received 297 electoral votes and 50.1% of the popular vote to Ford’s 240 electoral votes and 48.0% of the popular vote. He was inaugurated on January 20, 1977—oddly enough, he was the only president to be sworn in using his informal name Jimmy instead of James.

His time in office was fraught by the challenges he faced and his inability to overcome them – the energy crisis and the Iran hostage siege tested his authority during his four-year tenure. He ran for office in 1980, but lost to Ronald Regan.

REMEMBER 9/11: In this photo, former President George W. Bush is briefed by his Chief of Staff Andrew Card on the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York during an early morning school reading event on 9/11/01, in Sarasota, Florida. #Never forget #11 September pic.twitter.com/aBverTI3Sc

— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 11, 2018

George W. Bush

Born in New Haven, Connecticut on July 6, 1946, George W. Bush was the eldest of six children in a family with political ties. His father George Herbert Walker served as the 41st US President from 1989 to 1993.

A Republican, Bush Jr. narrowly won the Electoral College in the 2000 election, beating Vice President Al Gore. His time in office will be remembered for the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the Iraq War. He was re-elected in 2004, but his popularity waned as a result of his handling of a number of issues, including the Iraq War and the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Bill Clinton

Born William Jefferson Blythe III in Hope, Arkansas on August 19, 1946, he adopted the Clinton surname from his stepfather when he turned 15. Clinton attended Georgetown University and spent two years as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford studying politics, but left without graduating. He met his wife Hillary Rodham at Yale University, where they both studied law.

A Democrat, he became the 42nd President of the United States in 1993, winning 370 electoral votes against Republican incumbent George HW Bush (168). He was re-elected in 1996, even though Republicans had gained control of Congress in 1994. His time in office was marked by scandal and controversy, including allegations of sexual misconduct and harassment.

I believe that the vast majority of people in this country are good and generous and honest and fair—and whether they’re Democrats or Republicans or independents, they want those values reflected in their politics. We’ll get that @KamalaHarris and @Tim_Walz – two… pic.twitter.com/CBOtq1rSgs

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 4, 2024

Barack Obama

And finally Barack Hussein Obama II, the first president with an ethnic background (his father was Kenyan). Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, he is the only US president born outside the 48 mainland states.

Obama graduated from Columbia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1983. Married to Michelle, the Obamas have two daughters, Malia Ann and Natasha.

As a Democrat, he ran in the 2008 US presidential election, beating Republican candidate Mitt Romney with 332 electoral votes and 51.1 percent of the popular vote. He ran again in 2012 and won, beating opponent Alan Keyes with 70 percent of the vote. Barack is one of three surviving US presidents who have served two terms.

The most recent former US president to pass away was George HW Bush, who died on November 30, aged 94. Before him, Gerald Ford (December 26, 2006) and Ronald Reagan (June 5, 2004), who were also in their 90s.