March 19, 2025 | 05:11 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - World leaders usually remain in power for several years, in accordance with each country’s regulated term of office. For example, Indonesian presidents serve for a five-year term, while American leaders hold powers for four years in a single presidential term.
However, it’s not rare that a head of state had their term cut much shorter, sitting in power only for a few months, days, or even minutes. Various factors contribute to this, including coup d’état, death, political pressure, or scandals that can force a president to leave office sooner than expected. Here are some of the world’s shortest-serving world leaders in history:
1. Pedro Lascurain (Mexico): 45 Minutes
According to Britannica, Pedro Lascurain holds the record for some of the shortest political tenures in the world, serving only for about 45 minutes on February 19, 1913. He was the President of Mexico during a political upheaval known as the 'Ten Tragic Days'. After being sworn in, the only decision he made was to appoint General Victoriano Huerta as Interior Minister, who then took over the presidency. After that, Lascurin immediately resigned from his position.
2. Louis XIX (France): 20 Minutes
Louis-Antoine de Bourbon, known as Louis XIX, holds the record for the shortest reign as king. He became the King of France for 20 minutes on August 2, 1830, after his father, Charles X, abdicated. However, realizing that the French people opposed the monarchy, he promptly handed over his crown to his nephew, Henri, Duke of Bordeaux.
3. Lady Jane Grey (England): 9 Days
According to The Guardian, Lady Jane Grey was proclaimed Queen of England on July 10, 1553, following the death of King Edward VI. However, the Brits were more supportive of Mary Tudor (Mary I), who eventually seized power and executed Jane Grey the following year, February 12, 1554. With only nine days as queen, she became the shortest-serving leader of Britain.
4. William Henry Harrison (United States): 32 Days
William Henry Harrison served as the 9th President of the United States with the shortest term, only 32 days. He was inaugurated on March 4, 1841, but fell ill after the outdoor inauguration ceremony held in cold weather without wearing a coat or gloves. Harrison died of pneumonia on April 4, 1841, making him the first president to die in office.
5. Liz Truss (UK): 44 Days
Liz Truss made history as the shortest-serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, lasting only 45 days from September to October 2022. Truss faced an economic crisis due to her controversial fiscal policies, which led to the depreciation of the pounds and turmoil in the financial markets. Political pressure from her own party forced her to resign.
6. Magdalena Andersson (Sweden): 7 Hours
On November 24, 2021, Magdalena Andersson became the first woman Prime Minister of Sweden. However, she only lasted for 7 hours before resigning. This happened after the coalition supporting her collapsed when her coalition partner, the Green Party, withdrew from the government after their budget was rejected in parliament. Nevertheless, Andersson resumed office five days later with a minority government.
7. George Canning (UK): 119 Days
George Canning served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for only 119 days before his death on August 8, 1827, due to tuberculosis. Despite his short term, he is remembered for his foreign policies supporting the independence of Latin American countries from Spain.
8. Kevin McCarthy (United States): 9 Months
To round up the list, one of the shortest-serving world leaders in history came from the United States. As the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy was forced to leave his position after leading for only nine months.
In October 2023, he became the first House Speaker in U.S. history to be removed from his position after failing to garner support from his own party due to his approval of a budget deal with the Democratic Party.
Editor’s Choice: President of Mexico Pedro Lascurain Only Served 45 Minutes, Shortest in History
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