Presidential Profiles 2020

PRESIDENTIAL PROFILES 2020

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PRESIDENTIAL PROFILES 2020

Introduction Attributions

February 17, 2020 is Presidents Day. The holiday dates back to 1885 and was established in recognition of George Washington’s birthday, on Feb. 22. In 1971 the holiday was moved to the third Monday of February as part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, in order to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. In honor of Presidents Day and in an effort to inform the public, the Duluth News Tribune is proud to present our readers with this special section. The section features a biographical profile of each person who has served as president of the United States. Biographical information is from MrNussbaum. com, a learning site for kids, parents and teachers. Supplemental information provided by whitehouse.gov.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson

James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams

Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison

John Tyler, James K. Polk, Zachary Taylor

Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan

Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson

S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield

A. Arthur, Grover Cleveland, Benjamin Harrison

Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft

Wilson, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge

Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman

Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter

Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton

W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald

George Washington

Born: Feb. 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Va.

Term as president: April 30 1789 – March 4, 1797

Party: unaffiliated

George Washington was our country’s first president and is probably the most-honored individual in American history. Numerous cities, towns, highways, monuments and parks bear his name. The capital of the United States is named after him. He was honored on the first American postage stamp, as well as on the quarter and one-dollar bill. He even has a state named after him – Washington, although he never set foot there.

John Adams

Born: October 30, 1735 in Braintree (now Quincy), Mass.

Term as president: March 4, 1797 – March 4, 1801

Party: Federalist

John Adams served in the Continental Congress. He carried great influence among the members of Congress and strongly favored separation from England. Adams also assisted in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the Massachusetts Constitution. Adams was elected the second president of the United States (he lost to George Washington previously and served two terms as his vice president). In 1812 he began corresponding with Thomas Jefferson and the two former presidents sent letters to each other for 14 years about politics, government and philosophy. His friend and fellow Founding Father Thomas Jefferson died the same day, only hours before him.

Thomas Jefferson

Born: April 13, 1743 in Albemarle County, Va.

Term as president: March 4, 1801 – March 4, 1809

Party: Democratic-Republican

In 1769, when he was just 26, Thomas Jefferson was elected to the Virginia House of Representatives. As a member of the Second Continental Congress, Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence with help from Benjamin Franklin and others. Jefferson and James Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party. Thomas Jefferson is remembered as one of the most brilliant men to ever inhabit the White House, whose views on individual freedom, religion and education are still influential. Today, buildings, cities, counties, corporations and monuments bear Jefferson’s name. He is honored on the United States two-dollar bill and nickel.

James Madison

Born: March 16, 1751 in King George County, Va.

Term as president: March 4, 1809 – March 4, 1817

Party: Democratic-Republican

James Madison served in the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1776. In 1780, Madison served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress. He then served as the chief recorder at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He is generally regarded as the “Father of the Constitution.” Later in 1787, Madison teamed with Alexander Hamilton (and to a small extent, John Jay) to write the Federalist Papers, a series of persuasive essays designed to convince the states to ratify the Constitution.

James Monroe 5

Born: April 28, 1758 in Westmoreland County, Va.

Term as president: March 4, 1817 – March 4, 1825

Party: Democratic-Republican

James Monroe is probably best known for the Monroe Doctrine, a document largely written by John Quincy Adams. The document outlined America’s foreign policy stance and proclaimed neutrality in European affairs. It also condemned European colonization and declared that such colonization in North and South America was a direct threat to the United States.

John Quincy Adams

Born: April 28, 1758 in Westmoreland County, Va.

Term as president: March 4, 1825 – March 4, 1829

Party: Whig

In 1824, John Quincy Adams won one of the most controversial presidential elections in American history. Neither Adams nor Andrew Jackson received the majority of electoral votes, leaving it to Congress to determine the victor. John Quincy’s term as president was marred by controversy created by his political enemies, who aimed to block any new legislation he supported. During his presidency, industrialization intensified in the northern United States, highlighted by the construction of the Erie Canal. Adams was also successful in paying off much of the national debt. After his loss to Jackson in 1828, Adams returned home to Massachusetts, where he served in the House fighting for the abolition of slavery. John Quincy Adams died in 1848.

Andrew Jackson

Born: March 15, 1767 in South Carolina

Term as president: March 4, 1829 – March 4, 1837

Party: Democratic-Republican

Andrew Jackson is perhaps most known for his Native American removal programs. In 1830, Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which authorized Congress to purchase Native American lands in the east in exchange for unsettled land in the west. Jackson’s actions were particularly popular in the South, as gold had been discovered on Cherokee lands in Georgia. Jackson pressured Cherokee leaders to sign a removal treaty (known as the Treaty of New Echota) that was surely rejected by most Cherokee people. The treaty, which was enforced by Martin Van Buren (the next president), resulted in the removal of the Cherokee Indians from their native lands via the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee were forced to walk hundreds of miles from Georgia to present-day Oklahoma. Thousands died along the way. In all, more than 45,000 Native Americans were “removed” during Jackson’s administration.

Martin Van Buren

Born: Dec. 5, 1782 in Kinderhook, N.Y.

Terms as president: March 4, 1837 – March 4, 1841

Party: Democratic-Republican

In 1837, with Jackson’s support, Martin Van Buren was elected as America’s eighth president. During his presidency, Van Buren was tasked with dealing with the Panic of 1837, a financial crisis that resulted in five years of economic depression. Like his predecessor, Andrew Jackson, Van Buren supported measures to remove Native Americans from their lands to reservations in Oklahoma. Throughout his presidency and after, Van Buren opposed the abolishment of slavery, even though he believed the practice to be immoral. Van Buren would be blamed for the country’s precarious economic position and was defeated by William Henry Harrison in the presidential election of 1840.

William Henry Harrison 9

Born: Feb. 9, 1773 in Charles City County, Va.

Term as president: March 4, 1841 – April 4, 1841

Party: Whig

William Henry Harrison took office on March 4, 1841. That day, Harrison delivered the longest inaugural speech in American history — in the bitter cold. Harrison quickly developed a cold, which turned into pneumonia. Despite intensive medical treatment, Harrison died just one month later. He was the first president to die in office. To this day, his presidency was the shortest in American history — 32 days.

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John Tyler

Born: March 29, 1790 in Charles City County, Va.

Term as president: April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845

Party: Whig

John Tyler struggled in his presidency to be taken seriously and had a contentious relationship with Congress. Nevertheless, his presidency produced several positive outcomes. His secretary of state, Daniel Webster, negotiated the Waterton-Ashburton Treaty that fixed the border between Maine and British Canada and ended hostile relations between the two nations over the disputed borders. In addition, the “Log-Cabin” bill enabled a settler to claim 160 acres of land before it was offered publicly for sale, and later pay $1.25 an acre for it. In 1845, the Republic of Texas was annexed and granted statehood, making it the nation’s largest state. On his last day in office, Florida was admitted as a state.

James K. Polk 11

Born: Nov. 2, 1795 in Mecklenburg County, N.C.

Term as president: March 4, 1845 – March 4, 1849 Party: Democratic James K. Polk was the first and only speaker of the house to ever ascend to the presidency. He was an advocate of Manifest Destiny (western expansion) and supported the annexation of Texas, as well as acquisition of California and Oregon. Polk negotiated a treaty with Great Britain which resulted in his country’s acquisition of the Oregon Territory. The attempted acquisition of California resulted in the Mexican-American War. At the end of the war, Mexico agreed to give up California and the New Mexico territory for $15 million. The new lands increased the land mass of the American nation significantly. During his presidency, the first postage stamps were issued, the Smithsonian museums were dedicated and the United States Naval Academy was opened.

Zachary Taylor 12

Born: Nov. 24, 1784 in Barboursville, Va.

Term as president: March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850 Party: Whig

During his short presidency, Zachary Taylor was instrumental in admitting California as an official state of the Union. Taylor also helped to settle state border disputes between Texas and New Mexico that would bring the western territories of the United States together. In July of 1850, Zachary Taylor was diagnosed with cholera morgues and died on July 9, 1850. A 50-foot-tall monument was placed near his grave in Louisville, Ken., by the Commonwealth of Kentucky to memorialize his life and presidency.

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Millard Fillmore

Born: Jan. 7, 1800 in Cayuga County, N.Y.

Term as president: July 9, 1850 – March 4, 1853

Party: Whig

Millard Fillmore would be the last Whig president and the first president to have been born after the death of George Washington. Fillmore’s presidency was dominated by dissention in the Whig Party and by the growing division over the question of the extension of slavery into new states. In what came to be known as the Compromise of 1850, California was admitted to the Union as a free state, the New Mexico Territory was established, and the Fugitive Slave Law was enforced in the Northern states, enraging some Northern members of the Whig Party.

As the dissention over the slavery issue caused the disintegration of the Whig Party, Fillmore joined the Know-Nothing Party, an anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant party that believed America was being overrun by immigration. Like the Whigs, the Know-Nothing Party soon disintegrated and Fillmore’s political career ended.

Franklin Pierce 14

Born: Nov. 23, 1804 in Hillsborough, N.H.

Term as president: March 4, 1853 – March 4, 1857

Party: Democratic

Franklin Pierce was more than just a career politician, he was both a successful lawyer and brigadier general in the United States Army during the Mexican American war. During his presidency, Franklin Pierce embraced westward expansion and supported popular sovereignty in Kansas, which allowed the citizens of Kansas to decide whether to allow slavery there. Pierce’s stance angered many abolitionists, who referred to him as a “doughface,” a Northern politician who sympathized with the South. During his presidency, Pierce also approved the Gadsden Purchase, which added parts of modern-day Arizona and New Mexico to the United States.

James Buchanan

Born: April 23, 1791 near Mercersburg, Pa.

Term as president: March 4, 1857 – March 4, 1861 Party: Democratic

Immediately, James Buchanan’s presidency got off to a controversial start as Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney delivered the Dred Scott decision, which asserted the Constitution did not authorize the right to prohibit slavery in the new territories. Buchanan, who was sympathetic to the Southern cause, was decried by abolitionists after he lobbied for the cause of slaveholders. Buchanan’s pro-slavery position infuriated Northerners and weakened the power of the Democratic Party by alienating some of its members. By 1860, the Democratic Party had split into a Northern and Southern contingency, each nominating its own candidate for the presidential election of 1860.

Abraham Lincoln 16

Born: Feb. 12, 1809 in LaRue County, Ky.

Term as president: March 4, 1861 – April 14, 1865

Party: Republican

By 1860, the United States was in the midst of serious political turmoil. The issue of slavery threatened to rip the nation apart. The Democratic Party had been split into two factions, the Northern Democrats and the Southern Democrats. The newly formed anti-slavery Republican Party nominated Abraham Lincoln and on Nov. 6, 1860 he was officially elected as president, despite the fact that he wasn’t even listed on the ballot in nine Southern states.

On Dec. 20, 1860 South Carolina issued a Declaration of Secession from the United States. Ten other states would follow its lead within a few months. The new president had a mighty task of preserving a fractured Union. As war approached, President Lincoln sent provisions to American forts that were now in Confederate territory, including Fort Sumter, near Charleston Harbor, S.C. Secessionists in South Carolina considered this an act of war and began bombarding the fort on April 12, 1861. Union forces at Fort Sumter surrendered and thus, the American Civil War began. On April 15, Lincoln requested the mobilization of 75,000 troops from the states for the purposes of “preserving the Union.” In the following days, North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas and Virginia seceded from the Union, refusing to mobilize against their Southern neighbors. The secession of Virginia, one of the most populous states in the country, was a major prize for the Confederacy. Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862 to be effective on Jan. 1, 1863. On April 9, 1865 the Confederate States of America surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse, Va. The Civil War was over and the Union would be preserved. Just five days after the end of the war, Southern sympathizer and actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln while he was watching a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died the next morning at the Peterson House across the street from the theater. Upon his death, Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton uttered the timeless words “Now, he belongs to the ages.”

Andrew Johnson

Born: Feb. 12, 1809 in Raleigh, N.C.

Term as president: April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869

Party: Republican

During his term in office, Andrew Johnson presided over Reconstruction, the period after the Civil War in which the Southern states were reintegrated into the Union. Johnson and Congress argued over the specifics of Reconstruction. Johnson favored a quick restoration of rights and privileges, whereas Congress favored a more gradual approach. Tensions grew when Johnson replaced Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton. Republicans claimed Johnson violated the newly passed Tenure of Office Act. The House of Representatives passed a resolution to impeach Johnson. Although he was acquitted (19 votes to 18), he was the first president to be impeached.

Ulysses S. Grant

Born: April 26, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio

Term as president: March 4, 1869 – March 4, 1877

Party: Republican

In 1864, President Lincoln named Ulysses S. Grant general in chief of the Union army. In 1869, Grant was elected president of the United States. Unlike his military campaigns, his presidency was less than successful and plagued by corruption. Although he presided over Reconstruction in the South, Grant was seen associating with prospectors who tried to corner the market in gold. When he realized their plan, he authorized the Treasury to sell enough gold to ruin the plan, but the damage had already been done to business. After the presidency, Grant joined a financial firm that ultimately went bankrupt. In 1885, he died of throat cancer shortly after writing his personal memoirs.

Rutherford B. Hayes 19

Born: October 4, 1822 in Delaware, Ohio

Term as president: March 4, 1877 – March 4, 1881

Party: Republican

Rutherford B. Hayes was the first to take the presidential oath in the White House. During his presidency, workers from the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company went on strike. The strike spread and railroad workers throughout the country refused to work. The labor disputes exploded into riots in several cities, and Rutherford made the controversial decision to send federal troops to control the riots. These troops would eventually fire into some of the crowds of rioters, killing 70 people. Although peace was restored, many were unhappy with Rutherford’s response to the matter. During his presidency, Hayes also signed bills that allowed for the development of lands in the desert Southwest and other lands in the West. Rutherford did not run for a second term as president and died of a heart attack Jan. 17, 1893.

James A. Garfield 20

Born: Nov. 19, 1831 in Orange Township, Ohio

Term as president: March 4, 1881 – September 19, 1881

Party: Republican

Unfortunately, James Garfield had little time to accomplish anything as president. On July 2, 1881, just under four months into his presidency, he was shot in Washington, D.C., by Charles J. Guiteau, an attorney who was angry because he was denied a federal job. Guiteau was later convicted and executed for assassination. Although Garfield was not killed immediately, he slowly deteriorated over a period of several months. He died Sept. 19, 1881 of complications from his wounds. Some historians believe he would have survived if his medical team would have been more capable. Many believe the infections that ultimately caused his death were inadvertently introduced to his body by his own doctors. He was only 49 years old.

Chester A. Arthur

Born: Feb. 5, 1829 in Fairfield, Vt.

Term as president: September 20, 1881 – March 4, 1885

Party: Republican

Nicknamed the “Gentleman Boss,” Chester Arthur’s presidency is generally considered successful. He called for civil service reforms and responsible monetary policy. The crown jewel of the Arthur administration was the 1883 Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act. The landmark act, which was passed in response to a scandal in which politically appointed postal workers schemed to steal millions of dollars from the U.S. government, ensured that government positions would be filled based on a person’s merit rather than politics. In addition, Arthur vetoed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which banned Chinese people from immigrating to America for 20 years. Although Congress could not overturn the veto, a modified bill was ultimately passed that banned Chinese immigration for 10 years.

Born: March 18, 1837 in Caldwell, N.J.

Terms as president: March 4, 1885 – March 4, 1889 and March 4, 1893 – March 4, 1897

Party: National Democratic Party

Grover Cleveland 22 & 24

In 1892, Grover Cleveland defeated Benjamin Harrison in the popular election and became the first and only president to serve two non-consecutive terms as president (his two terms were separated by Benjamin Harrison’s presidency). Unfortunately for Cleveland, he entered his second term in a difficult position. The country was experiencing a money crisis brought about by a lowered gold reserve and questionable spending. Cleveland was unsuccessful in his attempt to thwart an impending depression and refused to interfere in business matters or rising unemployment.

Benjamin Harrison 23

Born: Aug. 20, 1833 in North Bend, Ohio

Term as president: March 4, 1889 – March 4, 1893

Party: Republican

During Benjamin Harrison’s presidency, Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust Act, which prohibited companies from engaging in monopolistic behaviors. In this way, customers could have choices between service providers, giving companies incentives to improve services and price competitively. Congress also passed the McKinley Tariff, which was designed to protect domestic industries from foreign companies by raising duties (taxes) on imports. During his presidency, Harrison repeatedly championed for civil rights for African-Americans and introduced legislation that would have provided federal funding to school regardless of the races such schools served. None of his measures, however, made it through Congress successfully.

William McKinley

Born: Jan. 29, 1843, in Niles, Ohio

Term as president: March 4, 1897 – September 14, 1901

Party: Republican

William McKinley’s presidency was dominated by foreign relations, especially with Spain. The United States had interests in several Spanish colonies including Cuba and the Philippines. These colonies were thought to be in virtual rebellion thanks to sensationalized stories in the newspapers and publications of William Randolph Hearst. In 1898, the warship U.S.S. Maine was mysteriously sunk in Havana Harbor, killing 260 men. Congress declared war in what came to be known as the Spanish American War. In the treaty that followed, the United States gained ownership of the Philippines, Guam and Puerto Rico and temporary control over Cuba. On Sept. 5, 1901 as McKinley was attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y., he was shot by anarchist Leon Frank Czolgosz. McKinley’s wounds became gangrenous and he died Sept.14.

Theodore Roosevelt 26

Born: Oct. 27, 1858 in New York City

Term as president: September 14, 1901 – March 4, 1909

Party: Republican

Theodore Roosevelt served two eventful terms as president. In his first term, he supported a rebellion in Panama that cleared the way for that country’s independence from Colombia, as well as for the U.S. acquisition of land in Panama that would later be used for construction of the Panama Canal. He fought vigorously against corporate corruption, and pushed for the dissolution of the Northern Securities Company for violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. In 1905, President Roosevelt helped mediate a peace treaty between Russia and Japan for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1906, Roosevelt signed the Hepburn Act, which awarded greater powers to the Interstate Commerce Commission and the Federal Food and Drug Act. Furthermore, Roosevelt started the U.S. Forest Service and signed the 1906 Antiquities Act under which he proclaimed 18 national monuments, five national parks, 51 wildlife refuges and 150 national forests. In 1908, the Bureau of Investigation was created to conduct investigations for the Justice Department.

William Howard Taft 27

Born: Sept. 15, 1857, in Cincinnati, Ohio Term as president: March 4, 1909 – March 4, 1913 Party: Republican William Taft’s presidency was highlighted by his strengthening of the Interstate Commerce Commission, expansion of the Civil Service and his establishment of a postal savings bank and parcel post system. He also supported the passage of the 16th Amendment allowing a federal income tax on corporations and the 17th amendment establishing direct election of senators by the people. He quickly lost the support of the business community by launching anti-trust lawsuits against 80 different companies, including U.S. Steel, one of the nation’s largest corporations, and

Teddy Roosevelt was the the first President to remodel the White House.

Woodrow Wilson

Born: Dec. 28, 1856, in Staunton, Va.

Term as president: March 4, 1913 – March 4, 1921

Party: Democratic

As president, Woodrow Wilson’s progressive politics led to the passage of numerous acts designed to check big businesses. Wilson’s second term was dominated by World War I. Over 2.8 million men and boys were drafted for military service. Wilson successfully guided the nation through the war. In 1918, Wilson issued his famous “Fourteen Points,” a statement and speech outlining his vision of a free world, successful foreign policy, democracy, trade equality, free navigation and solutions to territorial disputes in Europe. His speech ended with the promotion of the League of Nations, an organization of nations formed to promote world peace, disarmament and diplomacy. In 1919, Wilson was issued the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in promoting the League of Nations.

Warren G. Harding 29

Born: Nov. 2, 1865, in Blooming Grove, Ohio

Term as president: March 4, 1921 – August 2, 1923

Party: Republican

Upon his election, Warren Harding quickly appointed high-profile politicians to his cabinet including Andrew Mellon, Herbert Hoover and Charles Evans Hughes. He also surrounded himself with political allies from his home state known as “the Ohio Gang.” Harding’s presidency is often considered one of the most corrupt in history, although much of the corruption was uncovered after Harding died in office. The most infamous scandal being the Teapot Dome Scandal. Secretary of the Interior Albert Bacon Fall was bribed by a major oil company to lease federal petroleum reserves in Wyoming and California at low prices rather than to the highest bidder. Fall would become the first cabinet member of a United States president to be sent to prison. Attorney General Harry Daugherty was implicated in several corruption schemes, as were various others who were considered part of Harding’s inner circle.

Calvin Coolidge

Born: July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch, Vt.

Term as president: August 2, 1923 – March 4, 1929

Party: Republican

As president, Calvin Coolidge was credited with restoring integrity to the White House and was given the nickname “Silent Cal” due to his dry sense of humor and his stoic demeanor. During his presidency he saw great economic prosperity. He was instrumental in the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which ensured women would be allowed to vote in all public elections. In 1924, the Republican Party decided to not choose Coolidge to run for re-election because he appeared worn out and exhausted after the death of his son. After he left office, Coolidge actually took some responsibility for the stock market crash and openly admitted he “avoided the big problems” and said he could have prevented the Great Depression had he been more hands-on.

Herbert Hoover

Born: July 4, 1872, in Plymouth Notch, Vt.

Term as president: March 4, 1929 – March 4, 1933

Party: Republican

Herbert Hoover will forever be tied to the Great Depression due to the Black Tuesday Stock Market Crash and unwillingness to use his political power to intervene and help the American people. Due to his conservative beliefs, Hoover believed the government should play a limited role in relief efforts and relied heavily on the idea of “rugged individualism,” or the belief that the people would get themselves out of the Great Depression. Many of Hoover’s plans did not work, and the people started referring to the ever-growing shanty towns as “Hooverville.”

Franklin D. Roosevelt 32

Born: Jan. 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, N.Y.

Term as president: March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945

Party: Democratic

The year 1932 was a turbulent time in American history. The country was mired in the misery of its worst depression in history. President Franklin D. Roosevelt immediately implemented a sweeping plan known as the “New Deal” to bring recovery to agriculture and business, relief to the unemployed and to those in danger of losing businesses, farms or homes. He initiated Social Security reforms, raised taxes on the wealthy, implemented new controls over banks and public utilities, and started an enormous work relief program for the unemployed. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, Roosevelt directed organization of the nation’s manpower and resources for global war.

Harry S. Truman

Born: May 8, 1884 in Lamar, Mo.

Term as president: April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953

Party: Democratic

Harry Truman’s presidency began in the latter stages of World War II. Truman authorized the use of nuclear weapons against Japan to end the war. American military forces dropped two nuclear bombs on Aug. 6 and 9, 1945 over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, marking the first and only time nuclear weapons had ever been used in warfare. Truman was instrumental in the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which established alliances with Canada and much of western and northern Europe in opposition to the growing communist threat of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless, Truman’s popularity began to wane as the Soviet nuclear program rapidly developed amid allegations that Truman’s administration was harboring Soviet spies.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Born: October 14, 1890, Abilene, Kan.

Term as president: January 20, 1953 – January 20, 1961

Party: Republican

Dwight D. Eisenhower was a commander during World War II and the 34th president of the United States. As president, he negotiated a peace treaty ending the Korean War. Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and sent Army troops to enforce federal court orders that integrated schools in Little Rock, Ark. He opposed Joseph McCarthy by openly invoking executive privilege. His largest program was the interstate highway system. He promoted the establishment of strong science education via the National Defense Education Act. In his farewell address to the nation, Eisenhower expressed his concerns about the dangers of massive military spending, particularly deficit spending and government contracts to private military manufacturers.

John F. Kennedy 35

Born: May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Mass.

Term as president: January 20, 1961 – November 22, 1963

Party: Democratic

In his inaugural address, John F. Kennedy stressed the importance of citizenship and uttered the famous quote, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” His presidency got off to a rough start in 1961 with the infamous failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion. In 1962, Kennedy faced what came to be known as the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of all ships bound for Cuba to prevent Russia from bringing nuclear missiles into the country. President Kennedy created Project Apollo, which paved the way for American space exploration. He also guided the nation through the difficult period of desegregation. On Nov. 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade. It was one of the most shocking news events in the history of the United States. Millions of people mourned.

Lyndon B. Johnson 36

Born: August 27, 1908, near Stonewall, Texas

Term as president: November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969

Party: Democratic

When President Kennedy was assassinated, Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as America’s 36th president. Johnson successfully advocated a tax cut for the public and a new Civil Rights Bill. He also spoke to the populace of a “Great Society” in which the meaning of life and the marvels of man’s labor were one and the same. In 1964, Johnson was re-elected by the widest margin in American history. Johnson’s second term, however, was plagued by the escalating situation in Vietnam. Despite his popularity, Johnson decided not to run for a third term as president so he could devote all of his time to establishing peace.

Richard Nixon 37

Born: Jan. 9, 1913 Yorba Linda, Calif.

Term as president: November 22, 1963 – January 20, 1969 Party: Republican

Nixon’s most pressing concern while in office was the controversial Vietnam War. Nixon also established diplomatic relations with China, and created the Environmental Protection Agency. Ultimately Nixon will forever be tied to the infamous Watergate Scandal at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Nixon used the CIA to block an FBI investigation. It was ultimately revealed that Nixon had secretly taped every conversation he had in the Oval Office. Nixon denied a congressional request to relinquish the tapes, citing his executive privilege. Eventually, the Supreme Court forced Nixon to deliver the tapes. Meanwhile the House of Representatives voted to impeach him. Facing certain impeachment by the Senate, Nixon resigned, making Vice President Gerald R. Ford president.

Gerald Ford 38

Born: July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Neb.

Term as president: August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977

Party: Republican

Shortly after assuming the role of president, Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed, which meant he would never have to face criminal charges for the Watergate scandal. This move was a very controversial one as many Americans wanted to see Nixon brought to justice for his crimes. During his presidency, Ford faced high unemployment and inflation rates, which made him extremely unpopular among Republicans and Democrats alike. He attempted to boost his public standing by introducing a presidential clemency program for Vietnam War draft dodgers. In 1976, Ford attempted to run for re-election. Ford was able to secure the Republican nomination, but he was defeated by Jimmy Carter.

Jimmy Carter 39

Born: Oct. 1, 1924 in Plains, Ga.

Term as president: January 20, 1977 – January 20, 1981 Party: Democratic

Symbolizing his commitment to a new kind of leadership, after his inaugural address, Carter got out of his limousine to walk to the White House among his supporters. Carter’s main domestic priority involved energy policy. With oil prices rising, and in the aftermath of the 1973 oil embargo, Carter believed it was absolutely necessary to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil. Carter received major criticism throughout his term for rising gas prices due to his war on foreign oil dependency. Carter’s foreign policy centered around a promise to make human rights a central concern in the United States’ relations with other countries. But Carter’s most notable foreign policy achievement was his successful mediation of the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, leading to a historic peace treaty in which Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula and the two sides officially recognized each other’s governments.

Ronald Reagan

Born: Feb. 6, 1911 in Tampico, Ill.

Term as president: January 20, 1981 – January 20, 1989

Party: Republican

In 1981, Reagan delivered one of the most passionate inaugural addresses in history as he told the American he would provide a beacon of hope for those who lacked hope. In March of the same year, Reagan survived an assassination attempt while exiting the Washington Hilton Hotel. In his first year Reagan’s administration passed sweeping tax cuts, based on supply-side economics, the idea that tax cuts would result in higher wages, increased consumer spending, and increased investment in the stock market. The plan was popularized in the media as “Reaganomics.” Conversely, Congress passed and Reagan signed into law tax increases of some nature in every year from 1981 to 1987 to continue funding government programs.

He also introduced the Reagan Doctrine, which declared the United States would aid countries in Africa and Latin America that were fighting against Communism. Reagan is given credit for ending the Cold War as he was able to forge a diplomatic relationship with the Soviet Union.

George H.W. Bush 41

Born: June 12, 1924 in Milton, Mass.

Term as president: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993

Party: Republican

George H.W. Bush’s presidency came at a time of major political upheaval abroad as the Soviet Union and Berlin Wall fell. In January 1991, he authorized the Persian Gulf War after Iraq invaded its neighbor to the south, Kuwait. Despite a lack of international support for the military measures, the attack made him very popular in the United States. In 1991, Bush met with Mikhail Gorbachev, leader of the Soviet Union, and signed an arms reduction treaty which reduced each country’s supply of nuclear arms by 35% and the Soviet Union’s land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles by 50%. This treaty was viewed as a breakthrough in relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. Bush also spearheaded the effort for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

Bill Clinton

Born: Aug. 19, 1946 in Hope, Ark.

Term as president: January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001

Party: Democratic

In his first term, William “Bill” Clinton struggled to make his mark. He was able to get the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act passed, but he was unable to get his Health Care Reform Act passed that would have provided universal health coverage. Clinton’s reputation suffered from scandal in his personal life. His second term in the White House was dominated by details of infidelity while president, prompting a congressional investigation and near 24-hour news coverage. In 1998, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives impeached Clinton for perjury and obstruction of justice for his actions. The Senate acquitted him of all charges in 1999.

George W. Bush

Born: July 6, 1946 in New Haven, Conn.

Term as president: January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009

Party: Republican

The 2000 presidential election of George W. Bush would be one of the most highly contested elections in history with the U.S. Supreme Court deciding the results. On Sept. 11, 2001 four hijacked U.S. airplanes struck the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C., and a field in western Pennsylvania. The passage of the Patriot Act and the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security followed. In September 2002, the Bush administration announced the United States would use military force if necessary to prevent threats to its national security by terrorists or “rogue states.” On Oct. 7, 2001 Bush ordered the invasion of Afghanistan and on March 20, 2003 the United States launched an invasion of Iraq. Baghdad, the Iraqi capital, fell on April 9, 2003 and Bush declared an end to major combat operations on May 1, 2003. A majority of combat troops would not be withdrawn from Iraq until December 2011 and December 2016 in Afghanistan.

Barack Obama 44

Born: Aug. 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii

Term as president: January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017

Party: Democratic

Barack Obama’s presidency started in economic turmoil with 2.6 million jobs lost in the first year of his presidency. An economic stimulus of $787 billion passed in 2009 aimed at helping the economy recover. The Obama administration intervened in the troubled automotive industry renewing loans for GM and Chrysler to continue operating. Obama is probably best known for the Affordable Care Act, which became known for better or worse as “Obama Care.” The Affordable Care Act faced several legal challenges with the Supreme Court upholding the individual mandate in a 5-4 decision.

Donald Trump

Born: June 14, 1946 in New York City Term as president: January 20, 2017 – Present Party: Republican

In his first year in office Donald Trump reversed many of the previous administration’s policies, often by executive order. He appointed two Supreme Court Justices — Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh — ordered a controversial travel ban on citizens from several Muslim-majority countries and signed tax reform legislation. Trump has changed course on foreign policy by withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, installed tariffs against rivals and allies, including China and Canada, pressured North Korea over the acceleration of their nuclear missile program, and recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On Dec. 18, 2019 the House approved articles of impeachment against Donald Trump for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, making him the third president in history to be charged with committing high crimes and misdemeanors and face removal by the Senate. However, on February 5, 2020 the Senate voted to acquit President Trump.

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LINCOLN AND KENNEDY COINCIDENCES VERY INTERESTING FACTS...

AbrahamLincolnwaselectedtoCongressin 1846.JohnF.KennedywaselectedtoCongress in1946.AbrahamLincolnwaselectedPresidentin 1860.JohnF.KennedywaselectedPresidentin 1960.ThenamesLincolnandKennedyeach containsevenletters.Bothwereparticularlyconcernedwith civilrights.Bothwiveslosttheirchildrenwhile livingintheWhiteHouse.BothPresidentswereshotonaFriday. Bothwereshotinthehead.

Lincoln’ssecretary,Kennedy,warnedhimnot togotothetheatre.Kennedy’ssecretary,Lincoln,warnedhimnot togotoDallas.BothwereassassinatedbySoutherners. BothweresucceededbySoutherners. BothsuccessorswerenamedJohnson. AndrewJohnson,whosucceededLincoln, wasbornin1808. LyndonJohnson,whosucceededKennedy, wasbornin1908.JohnWilkesBoothwasbornin1839. LeeHarveyOswaldwasbornin1939. Bothassassinswereknownbytheirthree names.Bothnamesarecomprisedof15 letters.

BoothandOswaldwereassassinatedbefore theirtrials.LincolnandKennedy,both,lostachild beforetheirpresidencies.EdwardBaker Lincolndiedin1850,atage4.Arabellawas thestillborndaughterofJFK(1956).

BothLincolnandKennedylosttheirparty’s Vice-Presidentialnominationsin1856and 1956,respectively.Boththeir1860/1960opponentswereborn in1813(StephenADouglas,April23,1813) and1913(RichardNixon,January9,1913).

LincolnandKennedyranintwoUS

Senatorialraces.BothLincolnandKennedywerethe2nd born,intheirfamilies,withbothsiblings dyingprematurely.Oftheirfourchildren, onlyonechildlivedpasttheageof39.JFK, Jrwas38yearsold,whenhewaslostinJuly 1999.TadLincolndiedin1871,attheageof 18.OnlyRobertToddLincolnandCaroline Kennedylivedbeyond39.

Boothranfromthetheaterandwascaughtin awarehouse.Oswaldranfromawarehouse andwascaughtinatheater.