Rutherford B. Hayes was born in 1822 in Delaware, Ohio, two months after his father's death. He was the fifth child of Rutherford Hayes Jr. and Sophia Birchard Hayes. He went to school at Norwalk Academy in Ohio, and then to a private school in Middletown, Connecticut. He went to Kenyon College at Gambier, Ohio, graduating in 1842. He entered Harvard Law School and he worked in a law office for ten months in Columbus, Ohio and he became a licensed attorney in 1845. 

In December 1852, Hayes married Lucy Ware Webb, a childhood sweetheart. Rutherford and Lucy had seven sons and one daughter. Three of their sons died. In 1854 with the earnings of his practice and aid from his uncle, Hayes purchased a house. Rutherford Hayes was brave because even though he a lot of wounds, he still never gave up in the Civil War. Hayes was a strong support of the Federal Union. "I would prefer to go into it if I knew I was to die or be killed in the course of it," he wrote in his diary. As major in the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Hayes was wounded in action a number of times.

Even though there was a tie in the election Rutherford Hayes still won. Rutherford Hayes became the President in the closest electoral contest in U.S. history winning over Samuel J. Tilden by one electoral vote. During his time of office, Hayes supported laws that he thought were right and just without worrying about making political enemies. 

Rutherford B. Hayes didn't have much of a great time in Mexico. In June 1877, Hayes authorized American troops to chase Mexican bandits across the borders. Mexican dictator, Porfiro Diaz came to power and a peaceful settlement was arranged between the two countries.

Rutherford Hayes did not smoke or gamble. His wife Lucy's nickname was Lemonade Lucy because she did not serve any alcohol in the White House. It was Mrs. Hayes who began the custom of inviting children for egg rolling at Easter on the White House lawn. Rutherford Hayes had a lot of fun in his last years. Hayes was not asked by his parties to run for a second term. After turning over the White House to President James A. Garfield in March 1881, Hayes retired to Spiegel Grove, Ohio. Mrs. Hayes died in 1889. While visiting friends in Cleveland, Hayes suffered a heart attack and died on January 17, 1893.