I’m Mr. Beat, and one day I will die. Heck, one day all of us will likely die.
But the good news is that right now we’re all alive so congratulations to all of us for that.
That said, if you’re watching this right now and you’re dead, comment below. You’re not dead to me!
Anyway, I’m YouTube’s American Presidents guy now, apparently, and breaking news
39 American Presidents have died. Now, some of them have been dead for awhile.
In this video, we’re going to look at how every President in American history died.
I would argue that being President is the most dangerous job in the world. 18%
of them have died while on the job. 9% of them were assassinated. In fact,
there was a period of about 122 years in which EIGHT Presidents died WHILE IN OFFICE.
Now, you could say that Presidents tend to be older when they take office,
and that is a fair point.
Still, it’s no wonder the President now has an entire Secret Service team of thousands
to protect them. Oh, and an entire White House Medical Unit to take care of all their medical
needs. It's a dangerous and STRESSFUL job. I mean, just look at these before and after photos.
While most of us hope for painless deaths...ya know...like dying in our
sleep….tragically many American Presidents died horrible, extremely painful deaths. Oh,
and while we’re at it, we might as well look at the supposed last words of every President,
even if sometimes those last words are, like, totally not profound at all.
And let’s go in chronological order at time of death instead of when they held
office to mix it up a bit.
But uh...yeah...George Washington, our first President, was indeed our first President to
die. He likely died of epiglottitis, which is the inflammation of the epiglottis, or that
little flap thingy at the base of the tongue that prevents food from getting into your windpipe. The
doctors who treated him didn’t quite know what it was, though, and just tried bloodletting. He ended
up losing around 40% of his blood before he died. He was 67, and his last words were “‘Tis well.”
The second President to die was Thomas Jefferson, the third President. The third President to die
was John Adams, the second President, and...crazy thing...they both died on the exact same day,
which was July 4, 1826, which was the 50th anniversary of the country. The two had a
close friendship that went back to when they both led in the Continental Congress during
the American Revolution. That said, later on they were bitter political rivals for a while.
In their later years, they once again became besties and wrote to each other regularly.
Jefferson apparently had a slow, painful death, and was bedridden for his final months. What
officially caused his death were really bad infections in his bloodstream. I mean,
apparently he had urine in his blood related to having severe kidney damage. On top of that,
he had pneumonia. His last words were “No, doctor, nothing more,” although before that
he had supposedly said “This is the Fourth.” John Adams apparently died of heart failure, and his
death was more sudden than Jefferson’s. Unaware that Jefferson had died just hours before him,
his last words included “Thomas Jefferson survives.” Jefferson was 83 and Adams was 90.
The fourth President to die also died on July 4th. No joke, princess. James Monroe,
the Fifth President, died from tuberculosis and heart failure exactly five years after
Jefferson and Adams. He was 73. His last words referred to HIS good friend James Madison,
the Fourth President. They supposedly were: “I regret that I should leave this world
without again beholding him.” There’s no solid evidence he ever said that, though.
Madison was the next President to die, dying almost five years after Monroe, on June 28th,
1836. He almost died on July 4th, too, and his doctors actually tried to get him to take
stimulants to prolong his life until then. Anyway, he also died of heart failure. He was 85. Before
he died, one of his nieces asked him what was wrong. He supposedly replied, “Nothing more than
a change of mind, my dear. I always talk better lying down.” So yeah, those were his last words.
William Henry Harrison, the sixth President to die, was the first to die in office, just a month
into his presidency. He was 68. It’s a common misconception that he caught a cold that turned
into pneumonia after giving a really long speech at his inauguration and refusing to wear a jacket
in chilly weather. Well, he DID give a two-hour speech at his inauguration. And he DID not wear
a jacket on a chilly day. However, he didn’t get sick until more than three weeks later. And yes,
the official cause of his death was pneumonia. However, 173 years later experts argued that he
actually caught typhoid from bacteria in the water supply. His last words were “Sir, I wish you to
understand the true principles of the government. I wish them carried out. I ask nothing more.”
Andrew Jackson was the next President to die. He had survived so much crazy stuff his entire life,
but ultimately his heart failed him on June 8, 1845. He was 78. At the time of his death,
he also suffered from edema, which is the buildup of fluid in the body’s tissue. On his deathbed,
after reacting to his family crying around him, his last words were “What is the matter with my
dear children? Have I alarmed you? Oh, do not cry. Be good children and we will all meet in Heaven.”
Three years later, the sixth President, John Quincy Adams, died from a stroke at the age of
80. He had worked in Congress up until his death, and his last words were “This is the
last of Earth. I am content.” Future President Abraham Lincoln was there when he died.
James Polk died far too young. He was only 53 when he died from cholera,
likely from drinking contaminated water. He died just over three months after
he left office. It was crazy to see how quickly his health deteriorated,
because as President he was energetic and passionate. He died with his wife,
Sarah at his side, and his last words were: “I love you, Sarah, for all eternity, I love you.”
Next was Zachary Taylor, who was the second President to die while in office,
less than a year and a half after swearing in. He died from gastroenteritis, or inflammation of the
gastrointestinal tract. Us Americans call it the “stomach flu” for some reason. It must have been
painful for him. It’s worth noting that there were theories that he may have been poisoned,
but analysis of his remains in 1991 could find no proof of that. Still,
some historians think it’s a possibility. Taylor’s last words were: “I am about to
die. I expect the summons very soon. I have tried to discharge all my duties faithfully.
I regret nothing, but I am sorry that I am about to leave my friends.”
Two former Presidents died in 1862, at the height of the American Civil War: A Yankee and a rebel.
First, the 10th President, John Tyler, in January, and later the 8th President, Martin Van Buren in
July. No, not July 4th. Tyler died from a stroke. He was 71. Shortly before he died,
he took a sip of brandy and told his doctor, “I am going.” The doctor replied “I hope not, Sir.”
Tyler then responded, “Perhaps it is best.” Those were his last words. He’s the only President to
be buried with a Confederate flag instead of an American flag, by the way. Van Buren died from
heart failure brought on by bronchial asthma. He was 79, and had lived to see eight more Presidents
succeed him in the office after he left it. That’s still the record, although if Jimmy
Carter sticks around a few more years...Supposedly his last words were “There is but one reliance.”
The next President to die was the first assassinated in office. When Abraham Lincoln
and his wife and friends were watching a show at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., John Wilkes
Booth came up behind Lincoln, who was laughing hysterically in reaction to the show, and shot
him in the head, at point-blank range. After going into a coma for eight hours, Lincoln died the next
morning. He was 56. I have an entire video about the assassination if you’ve got some extra time
to watch. We don’t know his last words for sure, but one account says they were “She won’t think
anything about it.” That was a response to Mary, Lincoln’s wife, after she asked him what Miss
Harris, one of their friends sitting next to them, would think of her hanging on to him so much.
Three years later, James Buchanan died from both respiratory failure and rheumatic
gout. He was 77. Some say his last words were “Oh, Lord God Almighty, as thou wilt!”
but honestly I’m not that convinced they were. Seems a little too dramatic for me. Just saying.
Franklin Pierce died the next year from inflammation of the stomach. He had been
suffering from liver cirrhosis for several years yet had drunk alcohol heavily anyway. So yeah,
basically... alcohol killed him. I’ve covered on this channel before how tragic his life was,
and it’s even the chorus of the song I made about him (Tragic life of a doughface),
but let’s add to the tragedy, shall we? He died alone, with no family members present,
and that’s why we don’t know his last words. We do know he was 64 when he died.
Millard Fillmore was next. He died from a stroke at the age of 74. His last words supposedly were
“The nourishment is palatable,” referring to a bowl of soup he had just finished.
Even though I doubt these were his last words, it’s fun to pretend they were.
The next year, Andrew Johnson also died from a stroke. He was 66, and was still an active
U.S. Senator representing Tennessee at the time. Also at the time, he was the only surviving past
President. Uh...yeah...few can agree about what his last words were,
so I’m not gonna speculate on this one.
James Garfield was the second President to be assassinated while in office. However,
if he had competent doctors, perhaps he would have survived. Just four months into his Presidency,
a mentally ill fellow named Charles Guiteau came up to Garfield and shot him twice,
once in the back and once in the arm. “My God, what is this?” Garfield shouted afterward,
but those would not be his last words. Most people don’t know that after he was shot,
Garfield was slowly starting to recover before his doctors screwed things up. While trying to
get his bullet out with unsterilized fingers and tools, they caused a severe infection.
Two months after getting shot, Garfield died from septic shock. His last words were to his friend,
General David Swaim. Clutching the tremendous pain in his chest, he said, “Oh, Swaim,
can’t you stop this? Oh, oh, Swaim!” It must have been a painful death indeed. He was just 49.
Ulysses Grant also had a slow, painful death. At 63, he died from throat cancer
after suffering from it for at least a year. His last words, or...uh..WORD, was “water.”
The next year, Chester Arthur died from a stroke at the age of 57. We don’t know his last words.
The next President to die was Rutherford Hayes. After suffering from a heart attack,
he died from heart disease at the age of 70. His last words were “I know that
I’m going where Lucy is.” By the way, Lucy was his beloved wife. Now, where was she?
Well, frankly, I think she was in the bathroom. Wait what’s that?
Oh, heaven. Hayes thought she went to heaven, so he was going there, too.
Benjamin Harrison was next. He got influenza,
which then turned into pneumonia. He died from it at the age of 67. Now his last words
make sense to me. They were “Are the doctors here? Doctor, my lungs…” Yeah pneumonia sucks.
The next President to die was the third one to be assassinated while in office. That’d be William
McKinley. After serving as President for four and a half years, a zealot named Leon Czolgosz
shot him twice in the stomach. Czolgosz thought McKinley was a symbol of oppression
and government bad and stuff. McKinley appeared to be recovering in the days following the shooting,
but then took a turn for the worse. He ended up dying from gangrene, a severe type of tissue death
caused by a lack of blood supply. Do me a favor and don’t Google pictures of it. You just did,
didn’t you? Anyway, his last words were “We are all going, we are all going. God’s will be done,
not ours.” He was responding to his wife Ida, who had said, “I want to go, too.”
Seven years later, Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President, was the 24th President
to pass away. He suffered from a heart attack and died at the age of 71.
He had had ongoing health problems, suffering from coronary sclerosis and intestinal
obstruction. His last words were: “I have tried so hard to do right.” Me too, Grover. Me too.
Teddy Roosevelt was next. His death was a bit of a shocker, to be honest.
On the night of January 5, 1919, he had been struggling to breathe. He saw his doctor,
who gave him some kind of treatment, and after that Roosevelt felt better and then
went to bed. However, he never woke up. He died in his sleep, which is why his last words were
“Please put out that light, James,” which he had spoken to his family servant, James Amos,
before he drifted off. The Vice President at the time, Thomas Marshall, famously said,
“Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping, for if he had been awake, there would have been a fight.”
It’s assumed he died from a coronary occlusion caused by a blood clot. He was just 60.
Warren Harding was the sixth President to die in office but third to die in office of natural
causes. When he was traveling along the West Coast, he suddenly experienced severe stomach
and chest pains. After some rest he began to recover and traveled down to San Francisco,
but down there he began to feel like crap again and became bedridden at the Palace Hotel. On
August 2, 1923, his wife Florence was reading a flattering article about him
from The Saturday Evening Post. After she paused, he told her, “That’s good. Go on, read some more.”
Those were his last words, as he had a dramatic heart attack right afterward.
He died at the age of 57, just less than 2 and a half years into his Presidency.
Woodrow Wilson died just a few months after Harding of a stroke,
although he had already suffered from a severe stroke a few years before when
he was President that nearly killed him then. In fact, afterward he was partially paralyzed
and nearly blind because of it. Supposedly, his last words were: “When the machinery is
broken...I am ready.” He was 67. Today he’s the only President buried within Washington, D.C.
Next to die was William Taft. Taft is known as the heaviest President in American history, but in his
final years he made a significant effort to get in shape, exercising regularly and eating healthier
foods to lose around 100 pounds. He also worked right up until right before he died as Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court. However, his health had declined beginning in the late 1920s. He died
of inflammation of the liver and heart disease when he was 72. We don’t know his last words.
Calvin Coolidge died of a heart attack at the age of 60. His death was sudden
and unexpected. Apparently his last words were “Good morning,
Robert.” Robert was a carpenter who had been working on his house.
Franklin Roosevelt was the seventh President to die in office,
but that was after he had been re-elected a FOURTH time. When he died at the age of 63,
supposedly from a stroke, he had been in office for more than 12 years. Now, I say
“supposedly” since some historians argue the real cause was melanoma,
a type of skin cancer. His last words apparently were “I have a terrific headache.”
Next to die was John F. Kennedy, the most recent President to die in office and fourth
assassinated. His death is arguably the most famous death of all the Presidents,
and right now you can search online and see footage of it. He died from gunshot wounds,
and it was dramatic...in front of what seemed like the entire world as he paraded through
Dealey (dee lee) Plaza in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Now, we’re not going to get
into all the theories about who REALLY killed JFK, but according to the Warren Commission and most
historians, undoubtedly the main dude responsible was Lee Harvey Oswald, who was murdered himself
just three days later. Public opinion polls have demonstrated that most Americans still don’t
believe the official version tells the whole truth about what really went down with JFK’s
death. His last words were “No, you certainly can’t.” He was responding to Nellie Connally,
the wife of then Texas governor John Connally. She had said before that,
“You certainly can’t say that the people of Dallas haven’t given you a nice welcome,
Mr. President.” At just 46, John F. Kennedy was the youngest President to die in American history.
Herbert Hoover died the next year. He had gone through several health problems the last couple
of years of his life, but the official cause of his death was massive internal bleeding. We
don’t know his last words, but he did live to the old age of 90. A pretty good run there, Hoover.
The grim reaper’s next visit was to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s house. He died from heart failure
at the age of 78. He had had heart problems for a while, and famously suffered from a heart attack
while he was President. His last words were supposedly “I want to go. God take me.”
Harry Truman was the next to die. His organs had failed and his blood pressure went extremely low
after suffering from severe pneumonia. He was 88. We don’t know his last words.
Lyndon Johnson died less than a month after Truman, despite not first serving as President
until ten years after Truman left office. LBJ, who smoked heavily for much of his adult life,
died from a heart attack at the age of 64. His last words were,
“Send Mike immediately.” Mike was his Secret Service agent who was assigned
to his Texas ranch. By the time Mike arrived, Johnson was already dead.
The next President wouldn’t die until more than 21 years later. That would be Richard Nixon,
who died from a stroke at the age of 81. His last word makes a LOT of sense. It was, “Help.”
Ronald Reagan was the next President to die, dying from pneumonia after long struggling
with Alzheimer’s disease, which he was first diagnosed with in 1994. As horrible as Alzheimer’s
disease is, remember Reagan nearly became the fifth President assassinated while in office
but survived a gunshot wound back in 1981. We don’t know Reagan’s last words, but he was 93.
Two years later, Gerald Ford died officialy of
arterioscelerotic cerebrovascular disease and diffuse arteriosclerosis. Ok, look,
he had heart issues, ok? He was also 93, and we also don’t know his last words.
And finally, the most recent President to die was George H.W. Bush, who died of Parkinson’s disease
on November 30, 2018. He was 94, at the time the longest-lived American President,
but that distinction is now held by Jimmy Carter. Bush’s son, George W. Bush,
who himself was President, reported that his dad’s last words were “I love you too.”
In conclusion, you may have noticed that most American Presidents have lived
rather long lives. Even though it’s supposedly the most dangerous job in the United States,
Presidents have historically lived longer than the average American. The average lifespan for
Americans is currently 78.9, but in 1860, it was just 39.4, ya know...due to so many children
dying back then. The average lifespan for all 39 American Presidents who have died is 71.1,
but remember that goes back to 1797. 24 of the 35 Presidents who died of natural causes
lived longer than the average life expectancy of their time. If you just look at Presidents
who have died over the past 50 years, the average lifespan number for Presidents goes up to 85.5.
Plus, look at the six Presidents who are still alive. They’re old,
man! Especially the aforementioned Jimmy Carter, who is currently 97 years young.
And then there’s the current President, Joe Biden. The moment he was sworn into office, he was
already the oldest President in American history. He recently turned 79, and yep he’s already
expressed interest in running for re-election, even though he’ll be 82 when that happens.
Anyway, that’s how every President died. Congratulations for staying alive
through this whole video. Remember, most of the Presidents died from strokes,
so watch that blood pressure! Oh, and don’t forget to buckle your safety harnesses.
As you can tell by which glasses I have been wearing for
this video, (pointing) these are the ones I chose.
What kind of Presidents video should I make next? Let me know down below.
it's time to recognize my patreon supporters for their support here's my monthly shout out
to every patreon supporter who donates at least 15 or more each month to my channel
alphabetically starting with my biggest donors at the george washington level alexander major
alicia solberg andrew b anthony beckett austin syros brady bardwell corey ryman
dr paul j lilly elijah ellis josie ramsey kyle fassbinder matt standish neo r14 nick everett
osborne's gaming pat ia pika sean connet thomas and william roush at the dwight eisenhower level
adam christians aesthetic degen andrew snyder brian layton christian ojeda empty machine
gail gerard grant hughes ian driscoll elon capone jack l jacob birnbaum joel serrano
lozada john johnson kit walker lee 48 naderade nelson guzman robert reichel samuel strizz thomas
oppenheim victor martinez waterfort and zachary f parker thank you all and thank you for watching
you're still watching whoa