Mr Change

Barack Obama, born on August 4, 1961, is not the youngest president of the United States.

No, JFK was not the youngest either; John F Kennedy was 43 years and 7 months when he was sworn in as America's 35th president. Barack was 47 years and 5 months when he was sworn in as the 44th US president.

Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt was only 42 years and two months when he became America's 26th president (numerology fans will notice the 8 connection in those presidential numbers :-))

Obama's predecessor, George W Bush, was 54 when he entered the White House. Bush's predecessor, Bill Clinton, was 47 and some months when he became president. Both Clinton and Obama are August born (Bill was born August 19, 1945).

Bush, Clinton and Obama's elections mean America has reverted once again to youthful presidents. Bush's dad, George H W Bush, was 64 when he was elected president in November 1988. Papa Bush's predecessor, Ronald Reagan, was a fortnight short of 70 when he took the oath of office in January 1981. The man he defeated in the presidential election, sitting president Jimmy Carter, was just 52 when he took charge of America.

Youth and popularity, it appears, have no co-relation. Richard Nixon, arguably America's most unpopular president, had just turned 56 when he took the oath of office. Ronald Reagan was widely considered to be America's most popular post-World War president; he was a fortnight short of 78 when he retired from office in January 1989.