Why vice presidential picks matter [Video]

Of the 49 vice presidents in U.S. history, nine of them — or nearly 1 in 5 — have risen to the presidency due to death or resignation.The first was John Tyler, who became president after William Henry Harrison died one month into his term. The most recent was Gerald Ford, who took office upon Richard Nixon’s resignation.Video above: Here’s everything you need to know about freshman senator and VP candidate JD VanceNow in 2024, the spotlight is growing on the two parties’ vice-presidential picks — Vice President Kamala Harris, a Democrat, and Republican Sen. JD Vance of Ohio — due to the advanced ages of the two presidential candidates as well as an assassination attempt on GOP nominee Donald Trump on Saturday. The vice presidents who ascended to the top job have been behind some significant moments in U.S. history, including Reconstruction, the dropping of atomic bombs to end …