John C. Breckinridge (1821 - 1875) was an American politician and lawyer from Kentucky who served as the 14th vice president of the United States from 1857 to 1861. Born on January 16, 1821, he was the youngest person ever elected to the vice presidency and later became the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in 1860. During the Civil War, Breckinridge joined the Confederate Army, serving as a general and later as Confederate secretary of war.