Birth of Alfred E. Smith
Alfred Emanuel Smith was born on December 30, 1873, in New York City, New York. Smith was a major figure in New York politics, serving as the state’s governor for eight years.
Politics
Birth of President Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 29, 1808. The Reconstruction President, he faced the difficult task of replacing Abraham Lincoln and leading the US through the years following the Civil War. His greatest legacy is as the first US president to be impeached.
Happy Birthday Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was born on December 5, 1782, in Kinderhook, New York. As America’s eighth president, his term in office was plagued with economic and foreign struggles, but he’s historians consider him fundamental in the development of America’s political system.
The Monroe Doctrine
On December 2, 1823, President James Monroe introduced the foreign policy doctrine that bears his name. Known as the Monroe Doctrine, it has served as the cornerstone of America’s foreign policy ever since, invoked by several presidents over the years.
Founding of the American Turners
On November 21, 1848, the first American Turners gymnastic union was established in Cincinnati, Ohio. Still in existence today, the Turners were honored with a stamp marking their 100th anniversary in 1948.
Birth of Louis Brandeis
Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis was born on November 13, 1856, in Louisville, Kentucky. As a lawyer and supreme court justice, he helped establish new precedents in the right to privacy and the use of expert testimony in court cases – both of which have had lasting effects.
The Trent Affair
On November 8, 1861, the Trent Affair began an international incident that nearly sparked a war between the US and Great Britain during the Civil War.
Happy Birthday Will Rogers
William Penn Adair Rogers was born on November 4, 1879, in Oologah, Cherokee Nation (present-day Oklahoma). A popular actor and humorist, he was called “Oklahoma’s Favorite Son” and “America’s Favorite Cowboy.”
Happy Birthday Teddy Roosevelt
America’s 26th president, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt was born October 27, 1858, in New York City. The youngest man to ever hold the office, he considered one of his greatest achievements to be the Panama Canal.