Presidential Trivia – Ulysses S. Grant

Think you know a lot about the President of the United States?  Let us dig down into the dustbin of history and see what we can find.

Our candidate today is:  Ulysses S. Grant (born. Hiram Ulysses Grant), 18th President of the United States

• Born April 27, 1822 in Point Pleasant, Ohio
• Died July 23, 1885, Mount McGregor, Saratoga Springs, New York
• Height: 5’8″
• Childhood and school activities:  Fishing; riding and breaking horses; worked in his fathers tannery
• Education:  United States Military Academy at West Point (Nominated by Congressman Thomas L. Hamer, the application mistakenly listed the name “Ulysses S. Grant of Ohio”. Grant opted to let the mistake go and accepted the moniker “U.S. Grant”.)
• Military Service:  United States Navy 1839-1854, 1861-1869, final rank General of the Army
• Civilian profession: Soldier, author
• Married to Julia Boggs Dent (January 26, 1826 – December 14, 1902) at White Haven plantation west of St. Louis, Missouri
• Children: Frederick Dent Grant, Ulysses S. Grant, Jr., Ellen Wrenshall Grant, Jesse Root Grant
• Political Party – Republican
• Term of office:  August 9, 1974 – January 20, 1977
• At 46 years old, he was the youngest man to that time elected to the presidency.
• Early in life his political leanings were Democrat.  However, during the Civil War, Grant became and voted Republican.
• Having received a slave from his father-in-law, Grant freed William Jones in 1859 despite being in need of money.
• Though rumors of drunkenness dogged his career, Grant actually suffered from debilitating migraines that often left him “hung over” and irritable.
• Grant’s offer to return to military service after the attack on Ft. Sumter was lost by the War Department until after the Civil War had ended.  He joined the Union army as Colonel of the unruly 21st Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment.
• Eschewing pomp and finery, Grant often wore a privates uniform with stars of rank as the only adornment.
• He accepted the surrender of Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee (whom he had served with in the Mexican-American War) at Appomattox Courthouse.  He allowed Confederate soldiers to retain their personal weapons and horses if they would return home in peace.
• Grant oversaw ratification of the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”
• Grant signed legislation establishing the Department of Justice, the Weather Bureau (now the National Weather Service) and Yellowstone National Park, America’s first national park.
• During his terms of office, Grant strove to improve the living conditions of Native Americans, repair foreign relations with Great Britain, reconcile differences among the North and South, secure civil rights for all Americans, and annex (unsuccessfully) the Dominican Republic into the United States.
• Grant is the first of only three Presidents to have graduated from the military academy – Grant (USMA – 1843), Eisenhower (USMA – 1915), Carter (USNA – 1947, accelerated to 1946)
• Assassination attempts:  Grant had been invited to the performance at Ford’s Theatre with President Lincoln.  However, he declined so that he and his wife could visit their children in New Jersey.  John Wilkes Booth had previously stalked Julia Grant.
• Grant is the first of only three Presidents to have graduated from the military academy – Grant (USMA – 1843), Eisenhower (USMA – 1915), Carter (USNA – 1947, accelerated to 1946)
• He is buried beside his wife Julia in the General Grant National Memorial in Riverside Park, New York, New York; the largest mausoleum in North America. There is no “Grant’s Tomb”.
• Hobbies:  horseback riding – he once received a speeding ticket from a Washington, D.C. police officer that didn’t recognize him
• Famous quote: “The right of revolution is an inherent one. When people are oppressed by their government, it is a natural right they enjoy to relieve themselves of oppression, if they are strong enough, whether by withdrawal from it, or by overthrowing it and substituting a government more acceptable.” Personal Memoirs, 1885

Lost and Found – January 1st Edition

What to remember about January 1st…

• 1781  1500 Patriot troops under General Anthony Wayne mutiny over not being paid; they march off on their own to capture Princeton
• 1808  As the 20-year constitutional prohibition against legislation in relation to slavery expires, Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves goes into effect in any U.S. jurisdiction
• 1863  As promised, President Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation freeing all slaves in rebellious America; Union army is instructed to liberate any they find
• 1892  Federal immigration receiving station opens on Ellis Island
• 1934  Law for the Prevention of Genetically Diseased Offspring goes into effect in Nazi Germany; court ordered sterilization
• 1942  President Roosevelt and Minister Churchill issue proclamation at end of the Arcadia Conference vowing to create United Nations
• 1958  At San Quentin Johnny Cash plays his 1st prison performance; inmate Mearle Haggard is inspired to change his life
• 1959  Communist led by Fidel Castro force Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista to flee the country for the Dominican Republic
• 1962  United States Navy’s Sea, Air, and Land Teams (SEALs) are established
• 1966  Advance units of 1st Marine Division arrive in Vietnam; by march 20,000 Marines will be in country
• 1984  As a result of 1974 anti-trust lawsuit brought by Justice Department, AT&T is broken into 7 holding companies known as “Baby Bells”
• 2004  Roman Catholic and Protestant Boy Scout organizations reunite after almost a century of division

Lost and Found – December 9th Edition

What to remember about December 9th…

• 1775  Colonial militia defeat British Ethiopian regiment of slaves and redcoats at Norfolk; Patriots now control Virginia
• 1803  Congress votes to send 12th Amendment to the Constitution to the states for ratification; changes process for electing President and Vice President due to difficulties in elections of 1796 and 1800
• 1835  Army of Texas captures San Antonio from Mexican troops
• 1979  Eradication of smallpox is certified; no known cases since this date; 1st and only successful elimination of a human disease
• 1981  Philadelphia Police officer Daniel Faulkner is murdered during routine traffic stop by former Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal
• 1987  After months of escalating incidents on both sides, violence explodes as Palestinian Intifada begins against Israel
• 1990  Founder of the Solidarity trade union Lech Walesa becomes 1st directly elected leader of Poland
• 1992  1800 U.S. Marines arrive in Mogadishu, Somalia as part of U.N. force; safeguarding relief supplies and refugees the stated goals
• 2008  Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is arrested for corruption including attempted sale of Senate seat of Barack Obama

Vaccines work so don’t be stupid. Protect your kids.

Lost and Found – December 6th Edition

What to remember about December 6th…

• 1790  U.S. Congress moves, seat of American government transferred from New York City to Philadelphia
• 1865  With Georgia vote, 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified; slavery officially abolished
• 1884  Crowning pyramid is placed atop the Washington monument; federal law ensures that it will remain the tallest building in the capital
• 1889  Jefferson Davis dies in New Orleans (b. 1808); infamous 1st and only president of the Confederate States of America
• 1947  Everglades National Park is dedicated in Florida by President Truman
• 1957  America’s 1st attempt to put a satellite into orbit ends when launch vehicle explodes on the pad
• 1969  Altamont Music Festival ends marred by death Meredith Hunter, Hells Angels “security guard” claims self-defense
• 1973  House of Representatives votes in agreement with Senate confirmation of Gerald Ford as Vice President
• 1998  After coming to power six years earlier in bloody military coup, Hugo Chavez is elected president of Venezuela
• 2004  Al Qaeda terrorists detonate bomb in attempt to assault U.S. consulate in Jedda, Saudi Arabia

Lost and Found – October 30th Edition

What to remember about October 30th…

• 1735  Founding Father and 2nd President of the United States John Adams is born in Braintree, Massachusetts (d. 1826)
• 1831  Escaped slave Nat Turner is captured after bloody slave rebellion that killed over 60; after a trial he hangs on November 11
• 1938  Orson Welles radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds” causes nationwide panic
• 1941  President Franklin Roosevelt approves $1 billion Lend Lease aid program for Soviet Union; hopes to stay out of the war
• 1944  Anne Frank and her sister are moved from Auschwitz to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp
• 1961  Soviet Union test 50 megaton hydrogen bomb; still the largest explosive device ever detonated
• 1974  Muhammad Ali wins the Rumble in the Jungle
• 1995  Vote for establishing an independent Quebec fails in Canada

Lost and Found – July 29th Edition

What to remember about July 29th…

• 1805  French historian Alexis de Tocqueville is born; author of the famous Democracy in America
• 1833  English abolitionist William Wilberforce dies
• 1862  Confederate spy Marie Isabella “Belle” Boyd is arrested by Union troops; detained in Washington, D.C.
• 1907  Sir Robert Baden-Powell establishes Brownsea Island Scout Camp
• 1921  Adolf Hitler becomes leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NAZI Party)
• 1958  President Eisenhower signs legislation creating National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• 1965  Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division begin arriving in Vietnam
• 1976  Serial killer David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz begins his killing spree in New York City

Lost and Found – July 25th Edition

What to remember about July 25th…

• 1780  General Horatio Gates takes command of southern Continental forces
• 1861  Congress passes Crittendon-Johnson Resolution stating that the war is for reunion not to end slavery
• 1866  Future president Ulysses S. Grant promoted to the rank of General of the Army; 1st to hold that rank
• 1868  Wyoming becomes a U.S. territory
• 1897  American author Jack London takes sail for Klondike gold rush
• 1898  U.S. forces begin invasion of Puerto Rico during that Spanish-American War
• 1943  Benito Mussolini voted out of power and arrested
• 1985  American actor Rock Hudson is 1st celebrity to announce that he has AIDS
• 1994   Israel and Jordan sign Washington Declaration formally ending the state of war begun in 1948
• 2000  1st and only crash of a supersonic Concorde Jet

Lost and Found – July 13th Edition

What to remember about July 13th…

• 1787  Congress passes the Northwest Ordinance; creates a structure for settling western territories and creating new states, limits slavery
• 1863  3-day New York City Draft Riots begin protesting the draft and $300 exemption for the wealthy; many working-class people felt that emancipated slaves would compete for their jobs
• 1886  Father Edward Joseph Flanagan born; founder of Boys Town
• 1919  British airship R-34 lands in Norfolk, England; completes 1st round trip journey across the Atlantic and back
• 1923  On Mount Lee in Los Angeles, the Hollywood sign is dedicated; 1st read “HOLLYWOODLAND” to advertise housing development
• 1942  American actor and producer Harrison Ford is born in Chicago
• 1943  Battle of Kursk ends; largest tank battle in history
• 1978  Lee Iacocca is fired from post as President of Ford Motor Corp.
• 1985  Live Aid charity mega-concert held in London and Philadelphia simultaneously, raises nearly $50 million
• 2005  Deal is reached to end year-long lockout of National Hockey League
• 2010  George Steinbrenner, longtime owner of New York Yankees dies in Tampa, Florida
• UPDATE:  2013  Hispanic neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman is acquitted of all charges in self-defense shooting death of 17-year old Trayvon Martin

Lost and Found – July 2nd Edition

What to remember about July 2nd…

• 1776  Continental Congress adopts Richard Henry Lee’s resolution for independence from Great Britain; vote is unanimous
• 1839  Africans aboard Spanish slave ship Amistad free themselves and take over the ship
• 1881  President James Garfield shot by assassin; dies September 19
• 1937  Amelia Earhart and navigator Frederick Noonan reported missing and presumed lost during attempt to fly around the world
• 1964  President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Civil Rights Act into law
• 1980  President Jimmy Carter signs act re-establishing the Selective Service (draft) registration requirement for men 18-26 years old
• 1990  1,426 pilgrims die in stampede during Hajj to Mecca
• 1993  Muslim mob sets fire to hotel in Sivas, Turkey killing 37 to protest the appearance of the translator of Salman Rushdie’s works
• 1997  Oscar-winning Actor and retired Air Force Major General James “Jimmy” Stewart dies at age 89 in Beverly Hills, CA
• 1992  1 millionth Chevy Corvette is built

Lost and Found – June 16th Edition

What to remember about June 16th…

• 1755  British defeat French at Fort Beausejour during French and indian War; renamed Fort Cumberland
• 1775  Continental forces begin fortifying Bunker Hill outside Boston
• 1858  Abraham Lincoln gives “House Divided” speech
• 1884  1st roller coaster in America opens at Coney Island
• 1903  Ford Motor Company incorporates
• 1961  Soviet ballet superstar Rudolf Nureyev defects to the West
• 1963  1st woman in space, Soviet Cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova
• 1979  Muslim Brotherhood murders 32 students and wounds 54 others at military school in Aleppo, Syria
• 1987  Bernard Goetz acquitted of all but gun possession charges after shooting 4 black youths attempt to rob him in New York subway
• 2011  Representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) announces that he will resign over scandal created by his tweeting sexually suggestive messages explicit photos to numerous women