George H.W. Bush: 9 things to know about the 41st president of the United States

HOUSTON — Former President George Herbert Walker Bush has died just eight months after the death of his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush.

The 41st president was 94 years old.

Here are nine things you should know about Bush, who served as the 41st president of the United States from 1989 to 1993:

REMEMBERING PRESIDENT BUSH:

• George H.W. Bush: 9 facts about the 41st president of the United States
• Cartoons depict touching Bush family reunion
• In his own words: George H.W. Bush's most memorable quotes
• PHOTOS: George H.W. Bush through the years

1. He has a form of Parkinson's disease. The former president uses a motorized scooter or wheelchair to get around.

2. He is "the longest-living president in U.S. history," Time reported last November. The 93-year-old Bush, born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts, is 111 days older than the second longest-living U.S. president, Jimmy Carter.

3. He and Barbara had the longest marriage of any presidential couple in U.S. history. The pair wed Jan. 6, 1945.

4. He graduated from Yale in 1948. According to CNN, he earned his bachelor's degree in economics in just 2 1/2 years.

5. He has five living children: George W., John (known as Jeb), Neil, Marvin and Dorothy. George W. Bush served two terms as president from 2001 to 2009. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ran for the Republican nomination in the run-up to November's election, but lost his bid to President Donald Trump.

Another child, Pauline Robinson "Robin" Bush, died as a child in 1953 after being diagnosed with leukemia, The Washington Post reported.

6. He served in the Navy during World War II. Bush, who reportedly enlisted on his 18th birthday in 1942, flew 58 combat missions during the war, including one that required he be rescued by a submarine after his plane was hit by Japanese anti-aircraft fire. For his bravery, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

7. He launched his political career in 1963. He served as a congressman, CIA director and Ronald Reagan's vice president.

8. In 1989, he became the first sitting vice president to win the presidency since 1837. According to CNN, he "offered his predecessors — Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan — secure telephones so he could reach them day or night."

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9. He "has parachuted eight times," CNN reported. His most recent skydive was a tandem jump in celebration of his 90th birthday.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.

REMEMBERING PRESIDENT BUSH:

• George H.W. Bush: 9 facts about the 41st president of the United States
• Cartoons depict touching Bush family reunion
• In his own words: George H.W. Bush's most memorable quotes
• PHOTOS: George H.W. Bush through the years

Cox Media Group