Presidential Trivia

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

If you don't insist they all have been received in the same year, Andrew Jackson.  If you do insist then both Harrison and Van Buren topped 1 million in 1840.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Probably Mark Twain from that idiotic two parter with Data's head is the publisher. If so, I'll guess Grant published his Memoirs with him.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

John Adams (back of the $2 along with Jefferson and 38 other signers of the Declaration of Independence)
Washington $¼ coin and $1 bill

are the other two.


What distinction did Henry Morgenthau, Jr. hold for six days that merits mention in a thread on Presidential trivia?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No.  Although the six days in question were just a little bit before the Potsdam Conference, they had nothing to do with the Potsdam Conference.  Another Conference did play an indirect role in gaining Morgenthau his distinction.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'll give y'all a further hint.  The six days in question were from June 27, 1945 to July 3, 1945.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'll give y'all a further hint.  The six days in question were from June 27, 1945 to July 3, 1945.

Acting Vice President

Close but incomplete.  He was first in line to succeed to the Presidency if Truman were to die or become incapacitated for those six days.  (Though Acting Vice President is not the correct term for that.)  However, plenty of people have held that honor, so what makes Morgenthau's term as the first in the line of succession distinctive from all others who have held that position?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

I'll give y'all a further hint.  The six days in question were from June 27, 1945 to July 3, 1945.

Acting Vice President

Close but incomplete.  He was first in line to succeed to the Presidency if Truman were to die or become incapacitated for those six days.  (Though Acting Vice President is not the correct term for that.)  However, plenty of people have held that honor, so what makes Morgenthau's term as the first in the line of succession distinctive from all others who have held that position?

He was the first sitting Secretary of the Treasury to be simultaneously first in the order of succession?

Not just the first.  He's the only Secretary of the Treasury to have been the President in waiting, and barring a change in the succession law, he'll likely be the only one to ever hold that distinction.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Guess: Only President to play in a football game with a Heisman trophy winner?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

 Carter walked on the way back, I don't think he walked there.  I'd be inclined to say either Washington or Adams since I doubt the distances were as long in either New York or Philadelphia, with Adams being the likelier choice.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Other than G.H.W. Bush (who lost two such races, see above) what other President lost a Statewide race before being elected Vice President?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Reagan?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Which president was willing to resign if he lost relection?

Wilson?

Yep. Wilson, being a (evil?) genius, thought that the wait between Election Day and Inauguration Day was too long, so he was going to appoint Hughes as Secretary of State, then he and his VP would resign immediately, making Hughes president earlier.

Bump: Wouldn't that have made the Speaker president, or did that come about with the 25th Amendment?

The succession is defined by act and the current one dates from 1947, the succession act in place when Wilson was president, that of 1886 omitted the Speaker and PPT.  Before the 1886 act, the cabinet was not in the line of succession.  The 1886 act was passed because after Garfield died on 1881 and Hendricks died in 1885, there were periods of time when no one was in the line of succession.  The previous succession act provided for the PPT, followed by the Speaker to serve as Acting President until a special election could be held to select a new President and Vice President for a full four year term.  Imagine if you will that when Lincoln was assassinated Atzerodt had gone through with his part of the plot and killed the Vice President.  Then Lafayette S. Foster would have become Acting President with a new election held that November to swear in a new President in March 1866.  The next presidential election would thwn have been that of 1869, not 1868 and until steps were taken to fix it, Presidential elections would not have held in conjunction with Congressional elections.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Since the questions here haven't been solely about presidential election results, I'm thinking of moving this thread to the History board if there are no objections.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Please welcome to this board the Presidential Trivia thread, lately of the U.S. Presidential Election Results board.  It had expanded beyond its original focus on electoral trivia to any sort of presidential trivia, and it had become somewhat moribund on its original board.  A change of residence should do it some good.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Now, who won the highest valor award during his lifetime?  And this is surprising.

What's so surprising? George H. W. Bush - Distinguished Flying Cross

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Now, who won the highest valor award during his lifetime?  And this is surprising.

What's so surprising? George H. W. Bush - Distinguished Flying Cross

If that's correct, it is not surprising at all. He would have been my guess if J. J. hadn't said the answer was "surprising".

You tend to think most of Ike when you think of military presidents, but he was stuck stateside during the Great War and by World War II he was too far removed from the fighting to likely be in a situation where he would win a valor award.

Also, JFK's award for what happened after the PT-109 was sunk, the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, is considered a non-valor award, since it was for heroic actions that took place outside combat.  (It's also junior to the DFC even if it were a valor award.)

If it had been in existence at the time, Ford probably would have gotten a Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for his actions in saving the USS Monterey.  If he'd had the connections Jack had, he likely would have gotten a Bronze Star, but he didn't, so he was one of many who might have gotten a Bronze Star in World War II, but did not.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

LBJ got probably the most undeserved Silver Star in history (for being a passenger on a bomber for all of 8 minutes of combat).

And that trumps a DFC, but it wasn't even 8 minutes of combat.  No wonder JJ said it was surprising.  I could see Johnson getting an Air Medal for his little joyride, but even if his aircraft hadn't had to turn back for mechanical reasons, there is no way what he did was Silver Star worthy or even DFC worthy.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Probably Ulysses S. Grant.  His father-in-law was a slaveowner who left his daughter four slave and him one slave when he died.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

The only President to win reelection with fewer electoral votes won the second time around than the first.

Obama

Actually Obama is the second.  I suspect that GPORTER was asking for the first, who before 2012 would have been the only.