12 Before-And-After Photos Of U.S. Presidents Showing How They Aged In Office
Changing the world is not easy, and so is being president of the most powerful country in the world.
This job is stressful and takes an immense toll on one's physical and mental well-being, even if it's for only one term.
Here are 12 U.S. President's before-and-after photos that will shock you:
1. Bill Clinton (1993 - 2001)
Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd President of the U.S. in 1993.
Two years later, one of the biggest political sex scandals of the decade broke out.
Clinton was accused of having sexual relationships with Monica Lewinsky, who was a 22-year-old White House intern at the time.
Even after stirring an uproar in America for cheating on his wife, Clinton was reelected to serve a second term in office in 1996.
The former Republican leader ended his presidency in 2001, but the stress of that full term definitely took a toll on him.
2. John F. Kennedy (1961 - 1963)
The most beloved U.S. president served only three years in office before he was assassinated in 1963.
During those short years, JFK inspired a generation to take social and political action. He fought for equal rights, landed a man on the moon, and worked to reduce the threat of nuclear war.
There were a lot of responsibilities that rested on his shoulders, and people expected a lot of great things from one of the youngest U.S. presidents to date.
Before he was able to achieve everything he wanted to, his life was cut short. But even in that short span of time, you can definitely notice how stress altered his appearance.
3. Barack Obama (2009 - 2017)
The 44th President of the U.S. was welcomed into office in 2009.
After serving two terms, Obama left the White House looking almost unrecognizable.
Despite not having any major scandals like many other U.S. presidents, Obama was committed to following his campaign promises and sparking hope in America, which is what took a toll on his physical well-being.
That being said, there are many who argue that Obama fared well for eight years in office.
4. Ronald Reagan (1981 - 1989)
In 1981, Reagan was inaugurated as the 40th President of the United States.
Before politics, Reagan was known for movies like Dark Victory and Knute Rockne.
Three years before the end of his presidency, he was accused of secretly facilitating the sale of arms to Iran.
The former Republican leader lost the trust and faith of Americans in a matter of a few days.
By 1989, right after leaving office, Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
5. Abraham Lincoln (1861 - 1865)
None of us have seen the man who served as the 16th President of the United States, but we've all heard of him.
Many Americans see Lincoln as their favorite president because he made radical changes to many laws of their nation.
For example, he issued the first Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which freed all slaves in rebellion states.
After a few short years in office, Lincoln was assassinated near the end of the American Civil War.
6. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933 - 1945)
FDR took office in the most stressful economic period in U.S. history: the Great Depression.
In 1939, the Second World War broke out and he was responsible for leading Americans to fight the Nazis.
He served more than a decade in office and passed away a few months before the end of World War II.
7. Harry S. Truman (1945 - 1953)
After FDR's sudden death, Truman was elected to serve as the 33rd President of the U.S.
Only a few months after he was sworn in, he ordered the first atomic bomb to be dropped on Japan. How a man can go on living after making a decision like that is beyond me.
Most people thought Truman would never get reelected, but he won by a landslide in 1948 and continued governing America's affairs until 1953.
8. George H. W. Bush (1989 - 1993)
The 41st President of the United States served only one term in office but his appearance dramatically changed by the end of it.
The Republican leader was more focused on foreign issues, rather than domestic issues, which was a bigger concern for the baby boomers who were voting at the time.
9. George W. Bush (2001 - 2009)
If you plug in your search browser "The Most Hated U.S. Presidents in History," you're guaranteed to always see George H. W Bush's son on the list.
His legacy in Iraq and Afghanistan are still talked about today. Some even claim that the 43rd President had something to do with the 9/11 bombings.
Undeniably, this took a toll on the former Republication leader.
10. Jimmy Carter (1977 - 1981)
As a Democrat, Carter took a softer approach when it came to foreign affairs.
When 52 Americans were taken hostage in the American Embassy in Tehran for 444 days, Americans lost faith in their president when he didn't take effective action.
His public image was ruined and he lost to Reagan when he ran for reelection.
11. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953 - 1961)
Even though Eisenhower played more golf than any other U.S. President to date, he still had a lot of stress. (Perhaps, forgetting about a nation's problems is more stressful than actually tackling them?)
To be fair, he led Americans through two recessions and threatened to use nuclear weapons to end the Korean War.
That's pretty stressful if you ask me.
12. Richard Nixon (1969 - 1974)
Nixon is the only president to resign from office, so you know things were bad for the former Republican leader.
The Watergate scandal ruined his career and legacy.
If that doesn't age someone, I don't know what will.