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The constitution
The constitution was ratified in 1788 but did not set out how long a president should serve. George Washington set a standard when he retired after two terms. After this, other presidents followed his lead and served two terms as well. -
Ulysses S Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the first person to ever run for a third term. He ran against James Garfield but eventually lost. -
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901 after the assassination of William McKinley and was then elected to a second full term in 1904. After he decline to seek a third term in 1908, he did run again in 1912. He lost the 1912 election to Woodrow Wilson. -
Woodrow Wilson
After his second term Wilson ran for a third term in 1920 despite his health issues following his stroke. He was not supported by the Democratic party and lost the nomination. He then attempted to run again in the 1924 elections but lacked support from his party. He then died in February of that year. -
Roosevelt's 3rd term
Franklin Roosevelt became the first president to ever exceed the two-term limit when he was reelected in the 1940 elections. He said he would only run if he was drafted and the delegates were free to vote for whoever they wanted. He was later renominated to the conventions first ballot. -
Roosevelt's 4th term
Roosevelt was elected to a fourth term in 1944 with a 53.4% of the popular vote and 432-99 electoral vote. He then died 82 days after his inauguration. -
22nd amendment
The 22nd amendment was a reaction to Roosevelt's four terms and was proposed by Congress and passed 285-121 in the House and 59-23 in the Senate. -
22nd Amendment
The 22nd Amendment was ratified on February 27, 1951. The amendment states that no person shall be elected president more than twice. It also says that if you replace a president for more than two years, you can only run for president once. -
Repealing the 22nd amendment
The first attempt to repeal the 22nd amendment was in 1956, five years after the ratification. Since then there have been 54 joint resolutions seeking to repeal the amendment. All of them have been unsuccessful. -
Dwight D. Eisenhower
After the passing of the 22nd amendment, Eisenhower was the first president to ever be held to a two-term limit. -
Lyndon B. Johnson
After the assassination of President Kennedy, Johnson was sworn in as president. Because he served 24 months of Kennedy's term he was allowed to run for two full terms of his own.