46 Fascinating Facts About Our 46 Presidents-- Part 1: Washington to Monroe

I'm going to take a break from the Battle of Princeton (and hopefully get back to it in a more timely amount of time than last time) to go through this list from the History Site about our presidents in honor of Presidents Day coming up this Monday.

1.  GEORGE WASHINGTON (1789-1797)  

The first U.S. president and hero of the American Revolution was an enthusiastic dog breeder, particularly of hunting hounds,  to which he gave names like "Sweet Lips" and "Drunkard."

2.  JOHN ADAMS  (1797-1801)

Adams and his wife Abigail exchanged more than 1,100 letters over the course of their lengthy relationship.

3.  THOMAS JEFFERSON (1801-1809)

Jefferson, the principal author of the declaration of Independence, died on July 4, 1826, within hours of  his "frenemy" John Adams.

4.  JAMES MADISON (1809-1817)

Madison was the shortest president at 5'4" and weighed barely 100 pounds.

5.  JAMES MONROE--  (1817-1825)

Other than Washington, Monroe was the only president to ever run essentially unopposed, coasting to re-election in the 1820 race.

--CootPres

Six Interesting Coincidences in History: July 4th a Bad Day for Some President's and a Booth Saves a Lincoln

From the August 29, 2015, History "6 famous coincidences" by Sarah Pruitt.

1.  Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died hours apart  on the same day:  July 4,  1826, the 50th anniversary  of American independence.

James Monroe became the third U.S. president to die on July 4 in 1831.  James Madison, Jefferson's close friend and Virginian came close to dying on Independence Day on June 28, 1836.

2.  JUST A YEAR BEFORE JOHN WIKES BOOTH KILLED ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BOOTH'S BROTHER EDWIN SAVED THE LIFE OF LINCOLN'S ELDEST SON, ROBERT.

Edwin Booth was a solid supporter of the Union, unlike his brother.  In late 1864,  Robert Todd Lincoln  fell on some railroad tracks and would have been mangles or killed had someone not saved him.  Robert recognized his savior as being the famous actor Edwin Booth.

Edwin Booth only learned later who the man was he saved.  His friend Adam Badeau, a colonel in the Union Army,  wrote Edwin congratulating him for saving the president's son.  At the time, Robert Lincoln was serving  with Badeau on Gen. Grant's staff.

--Cooter

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

More on Ohio Presidents-- Part 3: "Foreign-Born" Presidents

Only William Henry Harrison wasn't actually born in Ohio, but he did call Ohio home from the time it became a state.

Actually, when he was born, there were no states.  Just 13 colonies.

In fact, he was the last president to be elected who could be considered being born under a foreign power.

The other seven presidents  born under a foreign power were:  George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson.

They were British subjects when born.

--Cooter

Oldest Presidents on Inauguration Day

From the same source as them previous post.

10.  Gerald R. Ford  61 years

9.  John Adams  61 years, 4 months

8.  Andrew Jackson  61 years, 11 months

7.  Dwight Eisenhower  62 years

6.  Zachary Taylor  64 years, 3 months

5.  George H.W. Bush 64 years, 6 months

4.  James Buchanan  65 years

3.  William Harrison  68 years

2.  Ronald Reagan  68 years

1.  Donald Trump  70 years

--DaCootPress

Longest Living Presidents

From the May 2, 2019, Kenosha (Wis.) News

10.  Richard Nixon   81 years

9.  Thomas Jefferson  83 years

8.  James Madison  85 years

7.  Harry S. Truman  88 years

6.  Herbert Hoover  90 years, 71 days

5.  John Adams  90 years, 248 days

4.  Ronald Reagan  93 years, 119 days

3.  Gerald Ford  93 years, 165 days

2.  George H.W. Bush  94 years, 171 days

1.  Jimmy Carter  94 years and counting

This past summer, Jimmy and Rosalyn celebrated their 73rd year of marriage.  No trophy wife for him.  Probably the most sincere and honorable president we've had since Harry S. Truman.

And, I Met Him When he Was Governor.  --Cooter

Nine Things You Didn't Know About the 4th of July-- Part 2: Three Presidents Have Died July 4th

3.  During the American Revolution, George Washington gave his troops a special treat on July 4.

On July 4, 1778, he ordered a double ration of rum for his soldiers.  He also ordered a cannon salute for the occasion.

Drinking has always been a large part of the 4th of July celebration.  In the past it was traditional to drink 13 toasts, one for each of the states that voted for independence.

4.  In a bizarre coincidence, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826.  The two Founding Fathers and adversaries died within five hours of each other.  As Adams lay on his deathbed, unaware that Jefferson had already died, his reported last words were, "Jefferson still still survives."

James Monroe was the third president (and only one since) to die on the date, July 4, 1831.

Some Coincidence.  --DaCoot

July 4th Through the Years

This date in U.S. History, besides being our 238th birthday today.

1801:  The United States Military Academy to train Army officers officially opened.

1803:  The Louisiana Purchase was announced in newspapers.  A great land deal.  France sold a huge tract of land to the U.S. for $15 million, coming out to 3 cents an acre.

1817:  Construction on the Erie Canal began in New York state.  It connected the Hudson River at Albany and Lake Erie at Buffalo.

JULY 4th was a bad day for earlier American presidents.  Three died on this date in 1826 and 1831.

1826: Presidents Thomas Jefferson (3rd) and John Adams (2nd)
1831:  James Madison (6th)

--Cooter

Ten Things About Harvard-- Part 3: Eight Presidents Attended

4. The Chairman of the National Defense Research Commission was Harvard President James Conant. This group oversaw scientific research that led to the Manhattan Project and the development of the atom bomb.

3. In a speech at Harvard in 1947, Secretary of State George C. Marsahll presented his MARSHALL PLAN.

2. The Crimson of Harvard fought in the Civil War with 1,662 donning the Union blue and 304 the Confederate gray. On the Union side, 100 were killed or died of wounds, 63 died of disease and 3 from accidents. On the Confederate side, 57 were killed or died of wounds, 12 died of disease a 1 died in an accident.

EIGHT PRESIDENTS went to Harvard: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR and JFK received their bachelor degrees. George W. Bush received his MBA and Rutherford B. Hayes and Barack Obama received their law degrees.

Quite a History. --DaCoot