1. William Henry Harrison holds the record for the shortest term of office of any president, but for how long did he hold the presidency before he died?
From Quiz Being President is a Dangerous Job
Answer:
Four weeks
On March 24 1841, three weeks after his inauguration, which took place on March 4, President William Henry Harrison went on his daily walk to a number of local markets. Just as at his inauguration, which was a cold and wet day, Harrison went on his walk without a coat or hat. Although caught out in a sudden rainstorm, the president did not change his clothes on his return to the White House. Two days later, Harrison began complaining of cold-like symptoms and sent for his doctor. Although the president said he felt better after taking some medication, the doctor, Thomas Miller, returned the following day to find Harrison in bed with a "severe chill". The doctor applied mustard plaster and prescribed a mild laxative. However, early on March 28, Harrison developed severe pain, and the Miller initiated bloodletting, applied heated cups to improve blood-flow, and induced vomiting, eventually diagnosing pneumonia. Despite the efforts of a team of physicians, Harrison became steadily weaker, developing severe diarrhoea and becoming delirious in the evening of April 3, and died at around 12.30am on April 4, four weeks after his inauguration. Although there was a long-standing belief that the conditions at his inauguration contributed to his death, an analysis of Miller's notes done in 2014 showed that the White House's water supply was downstream of public sewage, and that Harrison most likely died as a result of typhoid.