William Henry Harrison

Historical eventApril 41841

William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison became the first U.S. president to die in office, sparking a brief constitutional crisis regarding questions of presidential succession that were unanswered by the U.S. Constitution.

Everything on April 4Original source
Photo: Unknown author Unknown author · Public domain

In context

When
Sunday, April 4 1841185 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1840s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1841.

What happened

William Henry Harrison was the ninth president of the United States from March to April 1841. He died 31 days into his term, making him the shortest serving president and the first president to die in office. Immediately after his death, Vice President John Tyler took over, ending the constitutional crisis that had been triggered by the question of presidential succession in the U.S. Constitution.

April 4 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1841William Henry Harrison
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  8. 2020National day of mourning
  9. 2023Finland
  10. 2024Russo-Ukrainian war
  11. 2025Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol

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  • January 26Gordon BremerCommodore Gordon Bremer took formal possession of Hong Kong Island for the United Kingdom at Possession Point.
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Everything we record for 1841 →

Sources

Cite this page

“William Henry Harrison”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/william-henry-harrison-1841-april-4, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did William Henry Harrison happen?

April 4 1841 — 185 years ago, on a Sunday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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