America’s 37th president, Richard Milhous Nixon was born into a poor Quaker family in Yorba Linda, California, on January 9, 1913. Largely remembered for the Watergate scandal and his resignation, he was considered an effective leader by many prior to his fall from grace.
America’s 13th president, Millard Fillmore, was born on January 7, 1800, in Moravia, New York. He was the second US vice president to take the nation’s highest office as the result of the president’s death. While he struggled on the domestic front, he helped open relations with Japan.
On January 5, 1933, America’s 30th President, Calvin Coolidge, died suddenly of a heart attack. He’d led the nation through the notable economic growth of the Roaring Twenties.
On December 8, 1953, President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his “Atoms for Peace” speech, introducing his goal of using nuclear power for peace.
On December 3, 1755, Gilbert Stuart was born in Saunderstown, Rhode Island Colony. A prolific American artist, he painted more than 1,000 people, including our first six presidents. Several of his portraits have appeared on US stamps – and even the $1 bill!
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.
On November 24, 1954, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower christened the first plane to be designated Air Force One.
American composer and conductor John Philip Sousa was born on November 6, 1854, in Washington, DC. As the composer of several notable marches, including the “Stars and Stripes Forever” and official Marines march, he’s been called “The March King.”
On November 5, 1781, John Hanson was elected president of the Continental Congress. He was the first president to serve a full one-year term under the Articles of Confederation – a which has led some to call him the first president of the United States.