Death of Gen. Z. Taylor, 12th President of the US, at the President's House, July 9, 1850

President Zachary Taylor died on July 9, 1850, after only sixteen months in office. Taylor, a hero of the Mexican-American War, died of an intestinal ailment that doctors at the time diagnosed as "cholera morbus." His unexpected death shocked the nation. An estimated one hundred thousand mourners lined the funeral route in the nation's capital. Taylor was succeeded by Vice President Millard Fillmore.