Mike Purdy's Presidential History Blog
Presidents Who Have Been Named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year
Time Magazine began its Man of the Year (now Person of the Year) in 1927. Since that time all U.S. Presidents except for three, have been named Man/Person of the Year at least once.Not Men of the Year - Coolidge, Hoover, FordCalvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and...
20 Memorable Presidential Addresses
In a new book published on October 16, 2012 by Lyons Press, author C. Edwin Vilada has assembled 20 of the most memorable Presidential speeches. Book title: The book is titled: "The President's Speech: The Stories Behind the Most Memorable...
After the White House – Books Looking at Post-Presidencies
What happens for former Presidents?The subject has been addressed in a number of books, including one just published in November 2012. Here's a quick list of some of the books:The Post-Presidency from Washington to Clinton, by Burton I. Kaufman (published...
3 Presidents in Just 32 Days!
In 1841, the nation quickly saw three men hold the office of president within a span of just 32 days.Martin Van Buren's term of office ended on March 4, 1841.William Henry Harrison was sworn in as president on March 4, 1841 at the expiration of Van Buren's...
The President as Comforter-in-Chief
Tragedies in our nation's history have historically tugged at the President of the United States to not only lead the government, but to act as Comforter-in-Chief to the grieving nation. This has become particularly a role for the President with the advent of...
George Washington’s Last Written Words
George WashingtonGeorge Washington died on December 14, 1799 at the age of 67 at his beloved Mount Vernon estate in Virginia.The day before he died, he wrote the following in his diary - the last words he would write before passing away close to midnight on the...
9 Vice-Presidents Became President on the Death or Resignation of the President
Nine times in the history of the republic, a vice-president has ascended to the office of president due to the death or resignation of the president. Here's a list of these men:John TylerMillard FillmoreAndrew JohnsonChester ArthurTheodore RooseveltCalvin...
Did the United States Have Two Presidents at the Same Time?
1876 election disputed: The presidential election of 1876 was hotly contested. Democrat Samuel J. Tilden won a majority of the popular vote against Republican Rutherford B. Hayes. However, neither candidate had a clear majority in the Electoral...
Bo in the Snow! President Obama’s 2012 Christmas Card
President Barack Obama and his family have sent out their 2012 Christmas cards that feature a picture of their dog, Bo, playing in the snow on the White House lawn. The text of the card is:This season, may your home be filled with family, friends, and the...
How Many Men Have Served as U.S. President?
Grover ClevelandWe call Barack Obama our 44th president, but we're counting presidential administrations and not the actual number of men who have served as president.And the number is different. We've had 44 presidential administrations, but only 43 men as...
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About Mike
Mike Purdy is a presidential historian and author living in Seattle, Washington. As an expert in presidential history, Mike runs PresidentialHistory.com as a public resource.