46 Fascinating Facts About Our 46 Presidents-- Part 6: Roosevelt to Coolidge

26.  THEODORE ROOSEVELT  (1901-1909)

The youngest president, taking office at age 42.

27.  WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT  (1909-1913)

Famous for his corpulence, Taft was the first to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Major League ball game

28.  WOODROW WILSON  (19143-1921)

In a 1914  proclamation, he officially established the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

29.  WARREN G. HARDING  (1921-1923)

Prior to taking office, Harding wrote a series of lurid letters to his mistress, the wife of one of his best friends.

30.  CALVIN COOLIDGE  (1923-1929)

A quiet man, he purportedly  replied, "You lose," to a visitor who bet she could get at least three words out of him.

--CootPres

U.S. Presidents Descended From Pilgrims

The General Society of Mayflower descendants, an association for people with proven Pilgrim descent, figures that some 10 million people in he United States and 35 million around the world can claim legitimate Pilgrim ancestry.

The Mayflower Society lists 51 Mayflower Pilgrims as possible ancestors.  If you can trace your lineage to any of them, you can become a card carrying member of them.

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PRESIDENTS

If you are a Mayflower descendant, you're among illustrious company.

According to the Mayflower Society, nine U.S. presidents are descended from Mayflower Pilgrims:

John Adams

John Quincy Adams (of course)

Zachary Taylor

Ulysses S. Grant

James A. Garfield

Calvin Coolidge

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (What, no Theodore Roosevelt?)

George H.W. Bush

George W. Bush (of course)

--CootPres

Nine Things You Didn't Know About the Fourth of July-- Part 3: The Philippines

5.  Calvin Coolidge is the only president born on July 4.

6.  The United States isn't the only country to celebrate independence day on the 4th of July.  The Philippines gained its independence from U.S. colonial control on July 4, 1946, and that day became a national holiday.

In 1962, however, due to rising Filipino nationalism and resentment to prior American colonialism it was changed to June 12.  July 4 is still on the books as "Philippine Republic Day" but is not much celebrated.

--Cooter

Some More on Liberty Ship Calvin Coolidge

I found another source which said it was built in Portland, Maine by the South Portland Shipbuilding Corporation, East Yard, EC2-S-C1 Type.

It was hull #773, the sixth one constructed, WSAT (550) USAT. WSAT stood for War Shipping Transportation Administration. The number in parentheses was the number of troops it could carry, and the USAT was Army Transportation Service.

The engine was made at General machine Corporation in Hamilton, Ohio and the ship was scrapped in 1965. As of yet, I haven't found anymore about its war or postwar career. Was it sold to a company or another country? Was it laid up at one of the eight or so reserve areas like Wilmington NC?

I found the number 2.43 connected to the name, but no explanation as to what it might be.

Liberty Ships-- An Often Overlooked, But Big Reason for the Victory in World War II. --Cooter