U.S. Presidents Who Died in Office

Can you name the U.S. Presidents who died while still in office?
Quiz by Walacama
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Last updated: December 11, 2022
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First submittedFebruary 12, 2016
Times taken27,109
Average score75.0%
Rating4.71
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Age
Cause of death
President
68
Pneumonia, bloodletting
William Henry Harrison
65
Cholera, possible poisoning
Zachary Taylor
56
Assassination
Abraham Lincoln
49
Assassination, medical malpractice
James Garfield
58
Assassination
William McKinley
57
Heart attack
Warren Harding
63
Cerebral hemorrhage
Franklin D. Roosevelt
46
Assassination
John F. Kennedy
+8
Level 28
Jun 15, 2016
For some reason, when I was all but done, I sat there staring at the last one, and finally realized it was an easy one (Roosevelt) just in time.
+2
Level 70
Jan 8, 2022
For Roosevelt it should say "Cerebral Hemorrhage due to Polio"
+6
Level 55
Jun 18, 2016
Although it's slightly inappropriate timing, since we in Britain just suffered our first assassination of an MP in centuries, but one reason US Presidents die in office is because of fixed terms. Prime Ministers Campbell-Bannerman and Bonar Law were able to stand down due to illness, as did Eden and Macmillan (although both of those lived on for decades). If Chamberlain hadn't been given a vote of no-confidence in May 1940, he would undoubtedly have resigned later of his own accord, as he died of cancer within that same year. US Presidents don't have that option. One who did, though, was Roosevelt, who should never have stood in 1944.
+8
Level 81
Jun 20, 2016
That does not compute.
+32
Level 87
Apr 2, 2017
US candidates don't stand, they RUN! (Although physically Roosevelt couldn't do either...)
+30
Level 82
Apr 14, 2021
Nixon resigned. Nothing stopping any other president from doing the same.
+9
Level 82
Apr 23, 2021
I don't think that adds up. US presidents: 4 assassinations, 4 other deaths in office. British prime ministers: 1 assassination, 6 other deaths in office. You can see where the real difference is.
+8
Level 89
Jun 2, 2021
Sorry Larry that's incorrect. U.S. president do indeed have the option of resigning. Nixon did so in order to save himself from impeachment. Any president is free to resign the office for any reason and at any time.
+1
Level 77
Mar 21, 2023
I think he’s saying that a president is less likely to resign due to a temporary health problem because it counts as one of their two times in office, which then makes it more likely to die in office. But I don’t think there’s much of a mortality difference between the two positions in reality.
+4
Level 80
Dec 6, 2017
It has been confirmed Zachary Taylor was not poisoned, and he likely died of gastroenteritis and William Henry Harrison likely died of typhoid, not pneumonia.
+5
Level 81
Dec 8, 2017
I don't think it has been officially confirmed on either. Taylor's symptoms were consistent with arsenic poisoning (no foul play), but some say it was gastroenteritis. There is also a theory that the White House water supply gave Harrison Typhoid, and maybe even Taylor and Polk got Typhoid from the White House. I'll add these in to both. Harrison's death is officially pneumonia. (Not because he wasn't wearing a coat, because that's not how you get pneumonia, but from bacteria.)
+2
Level 81
Apr 11, 2023
I recently read an article that suggests cold weather does make you more susceptible to allowing a virus to enter your nose. So maybe there is something to the theory of Harrison not wearing a coat. You still have to contract the virus/bacteria though.
+3
Level 51
Jun 11, 2020
Got all of them!
+3
Level 65
Apr 14, 2021
Good quiz. Only got Harrison, Lincoln, and Kennedy for some reason. There has been research that shows that it was probable that Lincoln would've died shortly after even had he not been shot, do to taking pills containing mercury.
+4
Level 71
Apr 23, 2021
Wait, why did Lincoln take mercury pills? It's not that I don't believe you, I just haven't heard anything about that, and I'd be interested in hearing more!

On a similar note, I've heard that JFK would have probably died of Addison's disease in a few years had he not been shot.

+8
Level 66
Jun 2, 2021

Only got Harrison, Lincoln, and Kennedy for some reason.

Maybe those are the only ones you knew.

+1
Level 34
Apr 11, 2023
Never heard of that despite studying those sorts of things for years. Also, it didn’t help that, as noted in an account by one of Lincoln’s doctors, said doctor proved Lincoln’s BRAIN where the bullet had gone it to try to find it UNGLOVED. That certainly did not help Lincoln’s cause.
+13
Level 77
Apr 22, 2021
Quiz title should be presidents "who" died in office.
+6
Level 62
Apr 23, 2021
I saw this quiz in the updated quizzes section and thought the current one died 😬
+2
Level 34
Apr 11, 2023
Seriously? You would have seen it on every news channel or really every anything involving the USA had it happened.
+2
Level 71
Apr 23, 2021
I should Have finish in 5-10 seconds
+3
Level 34
Apr 23, 2021
I can name all presidents in under a minute so...
+6
Level 48
Jun 2, 2021
O K
+3
Level 46
Jun 2, 2021
No way! So can I!
+3
Level 46
Jun 2, 2021
Done in 12 seconds.

And that's with a crappy keyboard.

+5
Level 72
Jun 15, 2021
Impressive. That's 48 seconds faster than Nicolas Cage was gone in.
+2
Level 67
Jun 2, 2021
Missed Taylor
+11
Level 57
Jun 8, 2021
When I was young, I always thought presidents dying in office meant they died while working their asses off on their desk in the Oval Office.
+2
Level 47
Apr 15, 2023
Cool Quiz!
+1
Level 68
Nov 16, 2023
Could you maybe add the year that they died?