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Which US President served two non-consecutive terms in the nineteenth century?
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Answer: Option D ā Grover Cleveland
Detailed Solution
Grover Cleveland was the first US President to serve two non-consecutive terms, as the 22nd President (1885-1889) and the 24th President (1893-1897).
About Grover Cleveland:
- He was born on 18 March 1837 in Caldwell, New Jersey.
- He was a lawyer and was Mayor of Buffalo and Governor of New York before becoming President.
- He was a member of the Democratic Party; he was the first Democrat elected President after the Civil War.
In the election of 1888, he won more popular votes than his opponent, Benjamin Harrison, but lost in the Electoral College. Harrison became the 23rd President.
Cleveland defeated Harrison in the 1892 election and returned as the 24th President.
Because of this, he is counted twice in the list of Presidents (22nd and 24th).
He was known for his honesty, his frequent use of the veto (over 500 vetoes), and his opposition to high tariffs and government favours.
He married Frances Folsom in 1886 in the White House, the only President to marry in the White House.
His second term was marked by the economic depression known as the "Panic of 1893".
Donald Trump's two non-consecutive terms:
- Donald Trump served as the 45th President (2017-2021), lost the 2020 election, and won the 2024 election.
- He took office as the 47th President on 20 January 2025.
- He became only the second President, after Grover Cleveland, to serve two non-consecutive terms.
Other US Presidential facts:
George Washington: first President (1789-1797).
Franklin D. Roosevelt: the only President elected four times (1932, 1936, 1940, 1944). The 22nd Amendment (1951) now limits Presidents to two elected terms.
William Henry Harrison: shortest term (died after 31 days in 1841).
John F. Kennedy: youngest elected President (43); assassinated in 1963.
Theodore Roosevelt: youngest person to become President (42, after McKinley's assassination in 1901).
Barack Obama: first African-American President (2009-2017).
Why not the other options?
- āTheodore Roosevelt served nearly two consecutive terms (1901-1909); he ran again in 1912 but lost.
- āAndrew Jackson served two consecutive terms (1829-1837).
Ulysses S. Grant served two consecutive terms (1869-1877).
Quick tip
Remember: Grover Cleveland = 22nd and 24th President (1885-89, 1893-97), first with non-consecutive terms; Donald Trump = 45th and 47th (second such case, from 2025); FDR = only President elected four times.
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Famous Personalities & Founders ā Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Famous Personalities & Founders, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers famous personalities from India and the world: leaders, reformers, scientists, entrepreneurs and their nicknames, along with the founders of organisations, companies, institutions, religions and movements. Questions often use popular titles such as 'Iron Man of India' (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) or 'Nightingale of India' (Sarojini Naidu), or ask who founded an organisation, such as the Ramakrishna Mission (Swami Vivekananda). Grouping people by field and by title makes revision faster and helps you spot wrong options. Practise the famous personalities questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.