Command Post Trivia Quiz

Answer:

John Adams was the United States' first VP, serving with President George Washington between April 21, 1789 and March 4, 1797. Adams went on to become the 2nd president.

Thomas Jefferson was the VP to President John Adams, serving between March 4, 1797 and March 4, 1801. Jefferson became the 3rd president, and had two of his own VPs during his tenure (Aaron Burr and George Clinton), neither of whom moved up to the top job.

From March 4, 1833 to March 4, 1837, Martin Van Buren served as the VP to President Andrew Jackson, the 7th US president. Jackson also had John C. Calhoun as his VP for the early part of his tenure (between 1829 and 1832). Van Buren followed his time as VP by becoming the 8th president of the United States.

John Tyler was VP to 9th President William Henry Harrison for one brief month between March 4 and April 4, 1841, at which point Harrison died of septic shock due to "enteric fever." Tyler took over the reins and completed the term as the nation's 10th president.

Millard Fillmore followed John Tyler's example by having a short stint as VP, serving in the role from March 4, 1849 to July 9, 1850 as second to 12th President Zachary Taylor until he died of an unspecified stomach illness. Fillmore continued as the 13th president until the end of the term and returned to private life, not seeking reelection.

Andrew Johnson was the second VP to pair with 16th President Abraham Lincoln (after Hannibal Hamlin), serving from March 4, 1865 to April 15, 1865, when Lincoln was assassinated. Johnson became the 17th US president, serving out the remainder of the term.

Chester A. Arthur was also VP to a president who was assassinated - James Garfield, the nation's 20th. After serving as VP for half a year (March 4 to September 19, 1881) Arthur became the 21st US president, completing the term.

Theodore Roosevelt was the second VP (after Garret Hobart) with 25th President William McKinley. Roosevelt only had six months in the job (March 4 to September 14, 1901) before McKinley was assassinated. Roosevelt became the 26th president, completing that term and then winning a second term.

Calvin Coolidge was VP to 29th President Warren G. Harding from March 4, 1921 to August 2, 1923, when Harding passed away from a heart attack. Coolidge went on to complete the term as the 30th US president and successfully sought reelection for a second term.

After John Nance Gardner and Henry A. Wallace, Harry S. Truman became the third VP to serve with 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt from January 20, 1945 until April 12, 1945, when FDR died of a massive intracerebral hemorrhage. Truman completed the term and followed that with his own election win, serving as America's 33rd president.

Richard M. Nixon served two terms (January 20, 1953 to January 20, 1961) as VP to 34th President Dwight Eisenhower. There was no tragedy that led to Nixon's step up to the presidency. Rather, he ran on his own ticket in the 1968 election, and served for (nearly) two terms as America's 37th president.

Lyndon B. Johnson served as 35th President John F. Kennedy's VP from January 20, 1961 until JFK's assassination on November 22, 1963. LBJ completed that term as the 36th US president and continued for another term after winning the 1964 election.

Following Spiro Agnew's resignation as VP, Gerald R. Ford served from December 6, 1973 until August 9th, 1974 as VP for 37th President Richard M. Nixon... until Nixon also resigned. Ford assumed the presidency as America's 38th president, finishing out the term.

George H.W. Bush served two terms (January 20, 1981 to January 20, 1989) as VP to 40th President Ronald Reagan, after which he ran on his own ticket and served one term as the 41st president of the United States.

Joe Biden was VP to 44th President Barack Obama for two terms (January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017). He followed that up after four years 'off' to win the 2020 election as America's 46th president, serving one term.