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U. S. PRESIDENTS TRIVIA V

41) William McKinley was the first U.S. president to _______.


The practice of campaigning by telephone dates back to the Presidential Election of 1896 when McKinley ran his campaign from his house on North Market Street in Canton, Ohio.

42) Who essentially performed the president's duties after Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919?


On October 2, 1919, Wilson suffered a serious stroke, leaving him paralyzed on his left side, and with only partial vision in the right eye. He was confined to bed for weeks and sequestered from everyone except his wife and his physician. The First Lady determined what documents the president read and who was allowed to communicate with him. For her influence in the administration, some have described Edith Wilson as "the first female President of the United States."

43) What political scandal marred Warren G. Harding's presidency?


Before the Watergate scandal, Teapot Dome was regarded as the greatest and most sensational scandal in the history of American politics. It involved Harding's Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall, who was found to have leased public land to oil companies in exchange for gifts. He spent a little under a year in prison. "I have no trouble with my enemies," Harding once said. "But my damn friends ... they're the ones who keep me walking the floor nights."

44) What was Calvin Coolidge's nickname?


As vice president, Coolidge and his vivacious wife were invited to quite a few parties, where the legend of "Silent Cal" was born. It is from this time that most of the jokes and anecdotes involving Coolidge originate, such as Coolidge being "silent in five languages".

45) What illness left Franklin D. Roosevelt paralyzed from the waist down?


While the Roosevelts were vacationing at Campobello Island in August 1921, he fell ill and was diagnosed with polio. Although he was left permanently paralyzed from the waist down, Roosevelt convinced many people that he was improving, which he believed to be essential prior to running for public office again. He laboriously taught himself to walk short distances by swiveling his torso while wearing iron braces and supporting himself with a cane.

46) How many Japanese died as a result of the atomic bombs Harry S. Truman dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?


In August 1945, the Japanese government refused surrender demands as specifically outlined in the Potsdam Declaration. With the invasion of mainland Japan imminent, Truman approved the schedule for dropping the two available bombs. Truman always said attacking Japan with atomic bombs saved many lives on both sides. Military estimates for the invasion of mainland Japan were that it could take a year and result in 250,000 to 500,000 U.S. casualties. Hiroshima was bombed on August 6, and Nagasaki three days later, leaving 105,000 dead. Japan agreed to surrender the following day.

47) By how many votes did Andrew Johnson avoid conviction in the Senate?


Johnson favored quick restoration of the seceded states to the Union without protection for the former slaves. This led to conflict with the Republican-dominated Congress, culminating in his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1868. He was acquitted in the Senate by one vote.

48) What did Chester A. Arthur do just before he died?


After spending the summer of 1886 in Connecticut, he returned home where he became seriously ill, and on November 16, ordered nearly all of his papers, both personal and official, burned. The next morning, Arthur suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and never regained consciousness. He died the following day, November 18, at the age of 57.

49) What was the name of Lyndon B. Johnson's domestic agenda?


Johnson wanted a catchy slogan to sum up his domestic agenda for the 1964 campaign. Eric Goldman, who joined the White House in December of that year, thought Johnson's domestic program was best captured in the title of Walter Lippman's book, The Good Society. Richard Goodwin tweaked it to "The Great Society" and incorporated the idea into a speech for Johnson in May 1964 at the University of Michigan. It encompassed movements of urban renewal, modern transportation, clean environment, anti-poverty, healthcare reform, crime control, and educational reform.

50) How many bills did Grover Cleveland veto during his presidency?


Facing a Republican Senate, Cleveland resorted to using his veto powers far more than any prior president. In fact, he vetoed more bills in his two terms than all other presidents to that date combined--a total of 584 vetoes (including 238 pocket vetoes), seven of which were overridden by Congress.

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