Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump to win the 2020 United States presidential election, and he has also won the title of the oldest president, though not by much. Prior to Joe Biden winning the oldest president title, the title was owned by Ronald Reagan.
When Joe Biden took office he was 78 years old, and he was born during the Second World War in 1942. When Ronald Reagan left the Oval Office in 1989, he was 77 years old.
Being the oldest president, Americans will worry about his health. Overall, Mr. Biden has exceptional health, but has been noted to have some heart issues. Still, prior to winning the election, he was described as healthy and vigorous for 77 by his doctor, and was reported to be able to be fit enough to execute his duties for the White House.
The report was provided by the same doctor that Joe Biden had when he was serving as Vice President of the United States alongside Barack Obama. Between 2009 and 2017, the doctor reported irregular heartbeats for Joe Biden, but not serious enough to require medication.
Ronald Reagan is now the second oldest president in American history. He was 69 when he won the Oval Office in 1981, and served two terms in the White House for America. He was 77 years old when his term had been served, and he finished his time in the White House just a few weeks before his seventy-eighth birthday.
For Ronald Reagan, his age was a popular topic for the media during both of his terms. He was also accused of being mentally unfit for office, and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s by 1994. While some say that his Alzheimer’s impacted his presidency, others would argue that it did not but for some mild symptoms.
Still, the disease was not enough for him to be unable to finish his duties. During his terms in office, Ronald Reagan was also shot and nearly killed. Death or impeachment, it seems, is the only physical issue that would likely prevent an American president from being able to complete the duties of office that the people gave to them.
When Ronald Reagan took the oath of office, he was two years older than the next oldest president who was William Henry Harrison. Harrison was 69 when he served, and James Buchanan was 66 years old when he served. George H.W. Bush also was one of the oldest presidents at 64.
By comparison, the youngest president for the United States was Theodore Roosevelt who took the oath of office at the age of 42. John F. Kennedy was the second youngest at 43 when he took the oath of office.