How Many US Presidents Served More Than One Term As President?
Almost half of the United States presidents to date — 21 in all — have served more than one term as president. They were Franklin D. Roosevelt, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George Washington, Harry Truman, George W. Bush, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, Richard M. Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, William McKinley, and Abraham Lincoln, and Barack Obama.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) is the only us president in history that served more than two terms in office. In fact, he was elected to four full terms. Unfortunately, Roosevelt died during his fourth term, and the remainder was served by his vice president, Harry S Truman. Shortly after, in 1947, the 22 Amendment of the United States Constitution was passed. It stated that a president cannot serve more than 10 years or two consecutive terms in office.
Not every US president who served more than one term served them consecutively, however. Grover Cleveland was the only president who served two terms that were not in a row. He goes down in the American history books as both the 22nd and 24th president of the United States.
Out of the 20 individuals who have served more than one term as president, 11 served two full terms. These presidents included Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George Washington, and George W. Bush.
There are also a handful of leaders who were originally elected as a vice president and ended up serving part of a previous president’s term. Of these leaders, four went on to be elected to their own term. They include Harry Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
These US presidents are not the only American leaders who served more than one but fewer than two terms. Richard Nixon resigned during his second term after the Watergate scandal, while William McKinley and Abraham Lincoln were both assassinated during their second terms in the presidential office.
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![Abraham Lincoln was assassinated during his second term as president.]()
By: GeoPappasAbraham Lincoln was assassinated during his second term as president. -
![The first US president, George Washington, served two complete terms.]()
By: Georgios KollidasThe first US president, George Washington, served two complete terms. -
![Harry Truman, who succeeded President Roosevelt and went on to serve another term.]()
By: Mark MarkauHarry Truman, who succeeded President Roosevelt and went on to serve another term. -
![Thomas Jefferson, who served two terms as president.]()
By: Robert GilThomas Jefferson, who served two terms as president. -
![President Franklin Delano Roosevelt died at the beginning of his fourth term.]()
By: SimfalexPresident Franklin Delano Roosevelt died at the beginning of his fourth term. -
![Andrew Jackson served two full terms of president of the United States.]()
By: David GilderAndrew Jackson served two full terms of president of the United States. -
![The 22nd Amendment set term limits on the presidency.]()
By: Stephanie FreyThe 22nd Amendment set term limits on the presidency. -
![James Madison served two full terms as president.]()
By: Georgios KollidasJames Madison served two full terms as president. -
![Teddy Roosevelt became president when William McKinley died; Roosevelt was then elected to four more years.]()
By: Pearson Art PhotoTeddy Roosevelt became president when William McKinley died; Roosevelt was then elected to four more years. -
![Woodrow Wilson served two full terms as president of the United States.]()
By: Blue MoonWoodrow Wilson served two full terms as president of the United States. -
![Lyndon Johnson served a full term after serving the remainder of John F. Kennedy's presidential term in office.]()
By: John W. SchulzeLyndon Johnson served a full term after serving the remainder of John F. Kennedy's presidential term in office. -
![Almost half of former US presidents served more than one term.]()
By: sborisovAlmost half of former US presidents served more than one term. -
![President Barack Obama won re-election for a second term in 2012.]()
President Barack Obama won re-election for a second term in 2012. -
![Term limits were put into place after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to four consecutive terms.]()
By: airTerm limits were put into place after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to four consecutive terms.
Discussion Comments
@latte31: You have that backwards: The teddy bear was named after Theodore Roosevelt, not the other way. The Teddy Bear tie came when a Brooklyn, NY candy shop owner, Morris Michtom, saw Clifford Berryman’s original cartoon of Roosevelt and the bear and had an idea. He put in his shop window two stuffed toy bears his wife had made. Michtom asked permission from President Roosevelt to call these toy bears "Teddy's bears". The rapid popularity of these bears led Michtom to mass-produce them, eventually forming the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company.
It seems that the history relating to Theodore Roosevelt and the teddy bear needs to be revisited.
Cupcake- I loved President Regan. I also wanted to add that Theodore Roosevelt was named after the teddy bear, thus the name teddy which was his nickname.
Thomas Jefferson was a brilliant man that was able to read Latin, Greek, English, and French.
Also, President George W. Bush was a cheerleader in college and a partial owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt also had polio which was in the paralytic form that caused him to use a wheel chair due to his paralysis.
SurfNturf-Other fun facts about presidents involve President Ford, who was the only Vice President to be appointed and not elected.
He was also a model in Cosmopolitan magazine as well as Look magazine. He later served his term when President Nixon resigned due to the Watergate scandal.
His wife Betty Ford was a known alcoholic and founded the famous Betty Ford clinic to help alcoholics all over the world treat their addiction and dependency to alcohol.
Also, President Regan was said to love Jelly Belly jellybeans and could not get enough of them. He always had to have a bowl on his desk.
Some fun facts about presidents include that John F. Kennedy was given $1,000,000 when he turned twenty-one, by his father and all of his siblings did too.
Also, John Quincy Adams was elected by the House because neither he nor Andrew Jackson had enough electoral votes to win.
John Quincy Adams also used to wake up two hours early so he could skinny dip in the Potomac River.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the other hand, was forced to wear a dress until the age of 5, by his mother.
He also was the only President that was elected to four terms, but he died in the last term. It is because of him that an amendment to the constitution was created that allowed Presidents to serve only two terms.
This prevented any one President from yielding too much power and becoming a dictator.
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