President Bush and Vice President Cheney in the presidential limousine, August 13, 2002. National Archives. The vice presidency used to look dramatically different than it does today.

Early U.S. vice presidents focused on their constitutional role as president of the Senate, but more modern officeholders have held more influence in the White House and beyond.

Richard Nixon was vice president under President Dwight Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961. In 1960, while still vice president, Nixon ran for president and lost to John F. Kennedy.

Only 15 of the 49 vice presidents in the country’s history have become president. Eight of them got there because they assumed office after the death of the incumbent president.

The American Vice President tells the little-known story of the second-highest office in the land, tracing its evolution from a constitutional afterthought to a position of political consequence.

An inside look at the vice president's residence 01:16. The most well-known address in the United States is perhaps 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the president's home and epicenter of the U.S. government.