Stock Photo - William Henry Harrison, President of the United States. William Henry, 1773-1841. William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773 – April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 9th president of the United States in 1841. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration and had the shortest presidency in U.S. history. He was also the first U.S president to die in office, and a brief constitutional crisis resulted as presidential succession was not fully defined in the United States Constitution. Harrison was the last president born as a British subject in the Thirteen Colonies and was the grandfather of Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president of the United States.