Who were all of the US vice presidents?

There have been 47 vice presidents of the United States, from John Adams to Joe Biden. Originally, the Vice President was the person who received the second most votes for President in the Electoral College. However, in the election of 1800, a tie in the electoral college between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr led to the selection of the President by the House of Representatives.

To prevent such an event from happening again, the Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution, creating the current system where electors cast a separate ballot for the vice presidency. The Vice President has few powers or duties explicitly provided for in the Constitution. The Vice President's primary function is to succeed to the presidency if the President dies, resigns, or is impeached and removed from office.

Nine vice presidents have ascended to the presidency in this way: eight through the president's death, and one, Gerald Ford, through the president's resignation. In addition, the Vice President serves as the President of the Senate and may choose to cast a tie-breaking vote on decisions made by the Senate. Vice presidents have exercised this latter power to varying extents over the years.

1 The vice presidency was described by former VP John Nance Garner in 1960 as "not worth a bucket of warm piss". Prior to passage of the Twenty-fifth Amendment, a vacancy in the office of the Vice President could not be filled until the next post-election inauguration. Such vacancies were common; sixteen occurred before the 25th Amendment was ratified–as a result of seven deaths, one resignation (John C.

Calhoun, who resigned to enter Congress), and eight cases in which the vice president succeeded to the presidency. This amendment allowed for a vacancy to be filled with appointment by the President and confirmation by both chambers of the U.S. Congress. Since the Amendment's passage, two vice presidents have been appointed through this process, Gerald Ford of Michigan in 1973 and Nelson Rockefeller of New York in 1974.

1 The office has been vacant for 13,800 days since the beginning of the United States federal government, or for approximately 37 years and 10 months. To date, 14 vice presidents became president, five of whom via election. The vice presidents have been elected from 21 states.

More than half of them have come from just five states, New York (11), Indiana (5), Massachusetts (4), Kentucky (3), and Texas (3). Most vice presidents have been in their 50s or 60s and had political experience prior to assuming the office. 1 The youngest person to become Vice President was John C.

Breckinridge at 36 years of age, while the oldest is Alben W. Barkley at 71 years of age. As of November 2015update, there are five living former vice presidents of the United States, the oldest being George H.

Bush (1981–1989, born 1924). The most recent death of a former vice president was that of Gerald Ford (1973–1974), on December 26, 2006. The most recently serving vice president to die was Nelson Rockefeller (1974–1977) on January 26, 1979.

There have been 14 vice presidents who have become President of the United States. John Adams, elected president in 1796, defeated in 1800. Thomas Jefferson, elected president in 1800 and reelected in 1804.