Martin van Buren was our nation’s 8th president, serving one term, 1837-1841.
This photo is roughly 15 years after van Buren left office, taken in the Washington, D.C., studio of Matthew Brady, whose photography gained fame from his work photographing battle sites during the American Civil War.
Martin van Buren was born December 5, 1782, in Kinderhook, New York. He is the only president to have the first name Martin. He’d be 235 years old today, and still king of the mutton chop sideburns among presidents.
Van Buren died on July 24, 1862.
More:
- Ridiculed in his lifetime, historians now view Van Buren as a key character in the development of the American presidency and government; the Miller Center at the University of Virginia details Van Buren’s life and presidency