In the 29th US presidential election, not only was Warren G. Harding voted in as president, but women were finally allowed to vote for the first time, making it an extremely important landmark. Harding began his career in the newspaper business in Ohio. He was the owner of the Marion Star newspaper but had to leave The Buckeye State when he decided to go into politics. During his time as President of the United States, from 1921 to 1923, Harding formally ended World War I by declaring peace with Germany, Hungary, and Austria.
He also promoted a “return to normalcy” policy by trying to boost the economy and bring the country back to “normal” after the war. While he was serving his term, many scandals came to light, and Harding sadly passed away from a heart attack while in office as they were surfacing.
The Moment Bush Hears About 9/11
President Bush was spending a peaceful Tuesday morning with children from the Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota County, Florida.
The president was there to promote literacy in America while reading and listening to the children read The Pet Goat. At that exact moment, his aide interrupted and told him about the shocking attacks by Al Qaeda terrorists on the World Trade Center.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Republican President Rutherford B. Hayes was America’s 19th president from 1877 to 1881. He won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote and became president after several months of disagreement (similarly to the elections in 2000). Interestingly, one of his supporters was legendary author Mark Twain. Hayes started his political career as a member of the defunct Whig party and served three terms as the governor of Ohio before becoming president. He was a staunch supporter of expanding civil rights for the black community but unfortunately, his efforts were thwarted in the end by a largely democratic congress.
His other claim to fame was his enthusiastic support of civil service exams. Hayes believed that government workers should be chosen for their capabilities and not for their political connections. This work eventually became the basis for the Pendleton Act. Hayes was married to the first college-educated first lady and his wife was also the first to institute an alcohol-free White House.
Harrison Was Deathly Afraid of Electrocution
It’s almost impossible for us to imagine a world without electricity, but it must have been quite frightening when first invented. President Benjamin Harrison was terrified of being electrocuted by his light switches.
He was so scared of touching them that he often went to sleep with all the lights on!
Richard M. Nixon
Richard M. Nixon served as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vice president from 1953 until 1961. He was a whiz at negotiating with foreign powers and had multiple successes under his belt even before becoming America’s 37th president. Nixon had many accomplishments in his years as president between 1969 to 1974. He ended America’s involvement in the Vietnam War, brought home POW’s, started a diplomatic dialogue with China and signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty with the USSR.
Nixon also established the Environmental Protection Agency, implemented the desegregation of the South, signed the Organized Crime Control Act, and spearheaded the “War on Cancer”. Nixon also ran for president in 1960 but lost the election to Democratic candidate John F. Kennedy. If it weren’t for his involvement in the Watergate scandal, President Richard M. Nixon would definitely have appeared higher on this list.