But it was reported that he did. Pierce, the mediocre president that came between Millard Fillmore and James Buchanan was on a train that crashed. Since it was 1853, communication wasn’t that great, and word got out that Pierce had died.

He was the President-Elect at the time, having been elected in November but not yet sworn in. The word reached Washington, and Congress adjourned out of respect for the dead would-be President. They also started planning for how to untangle the constitutional question of who would be President.

But, it turned out he wasn’t dead after all, and Pierce could go on to be one in a string of one term presidents that most people can’t name.

William R. King, Pierce’s VP that no one but the most diehard students of American history can name, died of tuberculosis after 45 days in office, and was never replaced.

I do have to note that Pierce’s 12 year old son was on the train and was killed. Pierce actually had 3 children, all of which died as children, and all before he was sworn in as President. Bummer.

Source: A History Channel show about train wrecks.