What Was "Executive Order 1"?
President Joe Biden issued a total of 160 Executive orders during his time in the White House, with his last being numbered Executive Order ("EO") 14144. This means that there have been a total of...
Which US Presidential Inauguration Address Had The Highest Ratings of All Time?
Which US Presidential inauguration address was the most-watched of all time? It wasn't the 2009 address by President Barack Obama. It wasn't the 2017 address by President Donald Trump. The ...
The Story of President Harrison and the Inauguration Address That Likely Killed Him
Earlier this week, President-elect Donald Trump announced that his inauguration speech would be held indoors due to the frigid temperatures that have descended upon Washington, DC. This will be th...
John Mitchell, Philip Weigel and the First Two Presidential Pardons in the History of the United States
On December 8th, 1795, President George Washington delivered the 7th State of the Union Address in the history of the United States. During this address, President Washington referred to the Novem...
Which Two Presidents Pardoned Zero People?
Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution allows the sitting President to "grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment." Preside...
John O. Koehler: The Ronald Reagan Appointee Who Lasted Just Thirteen Days in His Job
John O. Koehler isn't the shortest-serving US cabinet member - that distinction belongs to Thomas M.T. McKennan, Anthony Scaramucci and Elihu Washburne, all of whom resigned or were forced out from th...
Which US President Had The Most Failed Cabinet Nominations?
There haven't been many rejected (by Senate) cabinet nominations over the history of the United States. In fact, there have been just NINE cabinet nominations that have been rejected by the Senate...
Could Donald Trump Run For Vice President in 2028?
Let's assume for a second that Donald Trump wins his second term as President of the United States in 2024. Four years later, President Trump is still very popular and wants to remain in the White...
The Three Presidential Elections Where Somebody Won 500+ Electoral Votes
In the history of the United States, three Presidential elections have seen the winner walk away with 500+ electoral votes - the 1936 election, the 1972 election and the 1984 election. In 1932, Fr...
A History of 50 Basis Point Interest Rate Cuts In The United States
The biggest arrow that the Federal Reserve has in its quiver to spark a moribund economy is the interest rate cut. The typical interest rate cut is 25 basis points, or 0.25%. A number of times ove...
The Time a Vice President Killed Somebody in a Duel
In the annals of American history, few events capture the imagination quite like the duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. This wasn't just any duel; it was a clash of titans, a moment where...
Why Were There No Presidential Debates in 1964, 1968 and 1972?
US Presidential hopefuls are not required to engage in debates when they are running for the highest office in the United States. If a Presidential hopeful decides that they don't want to debate, ther...
How A Single Debate Changed The 1960 Presidential Election - And The World
Here is one of the great "What Ifs": What if Richard Nixon had worn make-up to the first debate of the 1960 US Presidential election? If he had worn make-up, there is a good chance that he would...
Who Had The Shortest Tenure Ever In the Supreme Court?
John Rutledge is in the record books for a couple of different reasons. To start, he is the only person to have ever resigned from the Supreme Court TWICE - once, in 1791 (Associate Justice) and a...
The 1820 US Presidential Election: The Last Time (Probably Ever) That There Was An Uncontested Winner
Here is something that may never happen again - in the 1820 US Presidential election, President James Monroe ran unopposed. Incumbent James Monroe, who represented the Democratic-Republican party ...