Joe Biden turns 78 today as he’s about to become the oldest sitting president
Ronald Reagan previously held the record by winning re-election at the age of 73
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.President-elect Joe Biden turned 78 years old on Friday, making him set to become the oldest person to assume the presidency.
Previously, Ronald Reagan raised eyebrows when he was elected into his first term at the age of 69. He then kept the title as oldest president upon his re-election at the age of 73.
Donald Trump, in comparison, became the oldest first-term president when he was 70 years old. The president-elect will far surpass that record when he becomes inaugurated on 20 January at 78 years old.
Since 1960, the average age of a sitting president when they enter the presidency has been about 56 years old.
John F Kennedy holds the record for being the youngest elected president at 43 years old. He was just 46 years when he was assassinated. But the youngest person to ever hold the presidency was actually Theodore Roosevelt. He assumed the presidency at the age of 42 following the assassination of then-president William McKinney in 1901.
Age became an important topic throughout the presidential election, as both Mr Trump and Mr Biden would extend the record of the oldest sitting president no matter who won the race.
Due to his age, the selection of Mr Biden’s vice president took centre stage more so than previous candidates’ picks, as he’s more at risk to suffer age-related health problems compared to past presidents.
Dr Kevin O’Connor of The George Washington University released a three-page medical summary of Mr Biden’s health on Tuesday that described him as a “healthy, vigorous, 77-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief.”
There were no notable changes to Mr Biden’s health compared to previous reports, according to Dr O’Connor’s assessment.
Mr Biden suffered two brain aneurysms in the late 1980s. In 2009, he had episodic atrial fibrillation. Dr O’Connor said that despite these conditions, there was no serious threat to Mr Biden’s health and his past medical conditions were under control.
It was added that Mr Biden was on blood thinners and medication for acid reflux, cholesterol and seasonal allergies.
The Biden team has not revealed how the president-elect intended to celebrate his birthday
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments