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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

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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.
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