Grandkids of 10th President John Tyler Still Alive

He was born in 1790, became president in 1841
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 27, 2012 6:19 PM CST
Grandkids of 10th President John Tyler Still Alive
John Tyler, tenth President of the United States serving from 1841 to 1845.   (Getty Images)

A leading candidate for the week's most bizarre story: Two of John Tyler's grandchildren are still alive. And yes, we're talking about the Tyler who was the 10th president of our country. The one who was born in 1790 and became president in 1841. Sounds impossible, but here is how it happened: Tyler takes the crown as the president with the most kids, at 15. Lyon Gardiner Tyler was born in 1853, nine years before his father's death. Lyon, in turn, fathered Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Jr., in 1924 and Harrison Ruffin Tyler in 1928. The Sherwood Forest Plantation Foundation confirms both are alive, reports Politico.

Alive and kickin', might be more like it. Harrison, now 84, talked to Politico today about the current crop of 2012 candidates—and he isn't impressed. "I don’t really like any of them," he said, least of all Newt Gingrich, whom he considers a "big jerk." Why? "He needs to stick with the same wife, that’s what my mother taught me. But that doesn’t seem to happen much today." As for Obama, 'he’s a charming man, but he grew up in the society where he believes in running the show and changing the apple cart and taking it away from those that have." Click for a Daily Intel interview with Harrison. (More John Tyler stories.)

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