Biography

William Henry Harrison holds the unfortunate distinction of serving the shortest presidential term in American history—just 31 days. A military hero known for his victory at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, Harrison ran a populist "Log Cabin and Hard Cider" campaign that emphasized his frontier credentials.

Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address in history on a cold, wet day without wearing a coat or hat. He caught pneumonia and died one month later, the first president to die in office. His death created the first constitutional succession crisis, ultimately establishing the precedent that the vice president becomes president (not acting president) upon the chief executive's death.