 |
Related Reading
|
 |
Presidential
Elections and Other Cool Facts
This text outlines the legal requirements for electing a president,
as spelled out in the U.S. Constitution. Kids also learn about
voter eligibility, the Electoral College, political third
parties, and rules and practices related to campaigning for
the presidential office.
Presidential
Fact Book
A storehouse of presidential facts, data, and statistics.
The Presidential Fact Book is a comprehensive and
authoritative tour through the administrations of every United
States president from Washington to Clinton.
|
 |
How Well
Do You Know the Presidents?
|
 |
Seldom does a day go by when we aren't
bombarded with information about
the president of the United States. We hear on the news
where he's traveled, whom he's met with, and what they
discussed. But how much do you know about our president,
or any of the past presidents?
February 16 is President's
Day, a holiday set aside to honor those great men who
have served in our country's highest office. And while
we may expect perfection from our fearless leaders, they
are, after all, only human. That's why we're offering
you a peek at some presidential trivia you may find amusing.
George
W. Bush (43) — He wants to be just like
dear old dad. George W. is the second president to follow
in his presidential papa's footsteps. John Quincy Adams
was the first to do so, following his father, President
John Adams.
William
(Bill) J. Clinton (42) — The first left-handed
president to serve two terms, Clinton is also the first
president to be deposed while in office. Also, at the
age of eight, Clinton was mauled by a sheep. He described
the experience as one of the worst beatings he'd ever
taken.
George
H. Bush (41) — Bush Sr. was the only president
to have served as director of the Central Intelligence
Agency. He was also the first president to be Ambassador
to the United Nations ... and to publicly refuse to eat
broccoli.
Ronald
W. Reagan (40) — Reagan was the oldest president.
He was 69 at his inauguration and 77 when he left office.
He was the first president to have been divorced and was
the only president to have been wounded and survive an
assassination attempt while in office.
Gerald
Ford (38) — Ford was the first president
and vice-president not to have been elected by the nation.
There were two attempts on his life in September of 1975,
both by women. He was a male model, and the first president
to be an Eagle Scout.
John
F. Kennedy (35) — Kennedy was the first
president born in the 20th century. He was the first and
only Roman Catholic president, and had won a Pulitzer
Prize for his book Profiles in Courage. Kennedy
was a fast speaker and could articulate 350 words a minute.
Franklin
D. Roosevelt (32) — FDR was the first president
whose mother could vote for him. Although he was the focus
of an assassination attempt in 1933, he was not harmed
but the mayor of Chicago was killed. Roosevelt served
the office of the presidency longer than anyone, completing
three terms and dying during the fourth.
Benjamin
Harrison (23) — Harrison was the first president
to use electricity in the White House. He once gave 140
separate speeches in 30 days and when he signed the bills
admitting North Dakota and South Dakota into the Union,
he shuffled the bills with the fronts covered. As a result,
no one knows which Dakota is 39th and which is 40th.
Rutherford
B. Hayes (19) — Hayes was the first president
to use a telephone in the White House. He was also the
first president to visit the West Coast while in office,
and won the electoral vote by one. He and his wife conducted
the first Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawns, shortly
after Congress refused to allow the use of the Capital
Hill lawn for that purpose.
Millard
Fillmore (13) — Fillmore established the
permanent library in the White House. He didn't give an
inauguration address and declined an honorary doctorate
from Oxford. His wife had the first running-water bathtub
installed in the White House.
John
Tyler (10) — Tyler was the first president
to have a veto overridden. Twenty years after office,
he joined the Confederacy and was the first president
to be named an enemy of the United States. He was the
first president to marry while in office, and it was his
second wife who started the tradition of playing Hail
to the Chief whenever the president entered the room.
For a site with a good list of information about the U.S.
presidents, visit Presidential
Facts.
Written by Ross Schmadebeck
Who was/is your favorite president?
Tell
Us!
|
 |
On the Web
|
 |
The White House
Information
about the Presidents of the United States
All
the presidents' signatures
 |
Who Can Be President?
|
 |
Growing up, most of us are told we can
be president if we want. But what constitutional stipulations
limit our eligibility, and how can someone become president
when not elected to the office?
Who Can Run?
According to Article
II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution of the United
States, a person is eligible to run for the office of the
presidency if they are a natural born citizen of the U.S.
and are at least 35 years of age. Although the Constitution
doesn't limit eligibility by race or gender, to date, only
white males have been president.
What Happens if the president dies in office?
If the president dies in office, the vice-president
assumes the position (Article
II, Section 1). An interesting note: a president can only
serve two four-year terms, for a total of eight years. However,
if the vice-president assumes the office of the presidency
after the two-year and one-day mark of the president's term,
the vice president can run for office the next two elections,
thus possibly serving as president for 10 years.
What happens if the president resigns?
If the president resigns his office, the vice-president
assumes the presidency. (Article
II, Section 1). He/She must then appoint a vice-presidential
candidate to be confirmed by Congress. When President Nixon
resigned, Vice-President Ford took office. However, Ford had
replaced Nixon's vice-president after he resigned. As a result,
the country had a president only elected to Congress as a
House Representative.
Can the president temporarily leave the office of
the presidency?
Yes. Last season of NBC's The West Wing
illustrated Amendment XXV to the Constitution. If the president
feels he is unable to fulfill his office for whatever reason,
a written letter is submitted to the speaker of the House
and the president pro tempore of the Senate (Amendment
XXV, Section 4).The vice-president then becomes acting
president until the president submits a second written letter
contrary to the first and reassumes his office.
For more information about the presidency, visit the House
of Representative's Web site. |