President Harding Dies Suddenly
Though he had been in poor health for some time, President Warren G. Harding’s death on August 2, 1923, was a shock to the nation, and spurred numerous unfounded rumors.
Many of the men Harding had appointed to various posts used their positions for personal gain. Though he wasn’t involved, these scandals, most famously the Teapot Dome scandal, became news in 1923.
Harding decided to take a tour to the West and Alaska to reconnect with the people and promote his agenda. Accompanied by his wife and trusted advisors, Harding’s train left Washington on June 20. After giving speeches throughout the Midwest, he and his party traveled to Alaska. Harding was the first President to visit there. He advocated opening the region to the oil industry and encouraged unemployed workers to settle in Alaska. On the way back to the lower 48 states, Harding toured British Columbia, the first sitting President to visit Canada.
As the trip continued, Harding became progressively weaker. The train traveled to San Francisco. On August 2, Harding died in a hotel suite of a cerebral hemorrhage.
His body was transported by train across the country. Millions of Americans lined the track all along the route to pay their respects.
When Harding’s wife, Florence, refused an autopsy, rumors swirled that she’d poisoned him to save him from the ensuing scandal charges, though no proof was ever found.
Click each image to add this neat history to your collection.
Hi Don, I didn’t know about all of the scandals in Harding’s administration, except the Teapot Dome. I also did not know about the “suspicious” circumstances surrounding his death. Thanks for the great synopses of all the stamps featured in “This Day in History.”
Unfortunate for a President, Head of State, to die this way,what ever the past history may be, yet the stigma keeps attached.
President Harding was the first President to die of a ceredil hjemerige. and FDR was the 2nd one to die of the same thing. Both were on vacation.. Do I smell a consperacy? Please excuse the spelling.
I just did!!! Presidents Harding and FDR both died in office of the same problem. Do I smell a conspirecy?
Your posts are great. Thank you!
These facts are interesting.
Thanks for doing the “This Day in History”. I enjoy reading a bit of history from every day.
I remember when I started collecting stamps as a hobby (1960) my dad wanted me to do something rather than get into mischief with the kids of the neighborhood. I remember reading the small histories about the stamp from the stamp pages. Later when I had history classes in high school and college I had the inside information on many topics. Thanks, to my dad, and to the hobby of stamp collecting.
Please keep up the history.
I’m really enjoying your website. Identifying stamps and finding their value is much simpler than leafing through a catalog. Thanks.
great program, keep it going
The day in history is very enjoyable and I’m
learning a lot of unknown facts, thanks.
And now, almost 100 years later, large groups are trying to hinder the oil workers in Alaska. Will we have a stamp about this?
iv got lots of old stamps , I need help with as well as old books , an new;s papers . my oldest book is 1888 its a bible reader
Not a conspiracy, these presidents just ate the wrong food and clogged up their arteries, like lots of their constituents! Then and today.
you have very interesting information. of.what happened many years ago
HISTORY IS MY FAVORITE SUBJECT
We need to get the word out to the younger generation about these posts to get them interested in stamp collecting and at the same time help save the USPS.
Thank you Mr Ralph Heid. I also started collecting stamps in the early 70’s,
as a way of staying home and not out with neighborhood kids and friends, per my father. I’ve learned much about geography and world cultures, including reading Russian and Greek. I have also learned to recognize different langua-
ges as a result of studying stamps, sometimes individual, spending hours. What I learned helped me in Elementary and High School History and Geography classes.
Mr Ewell Sapp. I would very much enjoy seeing your old stamps, books, and newspapers. I know of an original paper with the headlines dealing with the
sinking of the Titanic. I have also seen many copies of original papers, on microfiche. I have a number of foreign and US satmps from the 19th Century.
I also have foreign bank notes that are more than one hundred years old.