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Weekly News, February 15, 2016Description
Presidential Trivia: I have never outgrown my love for mathematics, history, and geography, so in this period of hysteria about presidential politics, here is some trivia from the past:
Number of Presidents named James: 6 Madison, Monroe, Polk, Buchanan, Garfield, and Carter
Number named John: 4 Adams, Quincy Adams, Tyler, and Kennedy
Number named William: 4 W. H. Harrison, McKinley, Taft, and Clinton
Number named George: 3 Washington, G. H. W. Bush, and G. W. Bush
Number named Franklin: 2 Pierce and F. D. Roosevelt
Number named Andrew: 2 Jackson and A. Johnson
Number named Thomas: 2 Jefferson and T.W. Wilson (who used Woodrow)
20 more first names were attached to 20 presidents: Martin, Zachary, Millard, Abraham, Ulysses, Rutherford, Chester, Grover, Benjamin, Theodore, Warren, Calvin, Herbert, Harry, Dwight, Lyndon, Richard, Gerald, Ronald, and Barack.
The Constitution says a native-born citizen must be 35 years of age to serve as president. The youngest elected president was John F. Kennedy at age 43, and the youngest to serve was Theodore Roosevelt at age 42, when he moved up following the assassination of President McKinley. William Jennings Bryan was 36 when he was defeated the first time, and Thomas E. Dewey was 38 when he tried the first time, but lost the nomination to Wendell Willkie.
The oldest elected president at the time of his inauguration was Ronald Reagan at age 69, followed by William Henry Harrison at 68.
The oldest president to serve was Ronald Reagan at 77, followed by Dwight Eisenhower at 70, James Buchanan at 69, and W. H. Harrison, Harry Truman, and George H. W. Bush at 68.
The longest-serving president was Franklin D. Roosevelt at 37 months, and the shortest-serving was William Henry Harrison at one month.
Two candidates for president received their party’s nomination three times, but neither was elected: Henry Clay (Whig), and William Jennings Bryan (Democrat).
Of our 43 presidents (Obama is considered #44 as Cleveland was counted as #22 and #24, since his terms were not consecutive), Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected 4 times. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Andrew Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, Cleveland, McKinley, Wilson, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Clinton, G. W. Bush, and Obama were elected twice each. Those elected once were John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Van Buren, W. H. Harrison, Polk, Taylor, Pierce, Buchanan, Hayes, Garfield, B. Harrison, T. Roosevelt, Taft, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Truman, Kennedy, L. Johnson, Carter, and G.H.W. Bush. The following presidents were NEVER elected: Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, and Ford.
Of the States producing presidents, New York is first with 8, (Van Buren, Fillmore, Arthur, Cleveland, T. Roosevelt, F.D. Roosevelt, Eisenhower*, and Nixon*), and Ohio is second with 6. (W.H.Harrison, Hayes, Garfield, McKinley, Taft, and Harding). Virginia produced 5, (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Tyler), and Massachusetts had 4, (J.Adams, J.Q.Adams, Coolidge, and Kennedy). Tennessee produced 3, (Jackson, Polk, and A.Johnson), Illinois had 3 (Lincoln, Grant, and Obama), Texas had 3, (L.Johnson, G.H.W.Bush, and G.W.Bush), and California had 3, (Hoover, Nixon*, and Reagan). One state had 2, Pennsylvania (Buchanan and Eisenhower*). Eight states had one each: Kentucky (Taylor), New Hampshire (Pierce), Indiana (B.Harrison), New Jersey (Wilson), Missouri (Truman), Michigan (Ford), Georgia (Carter), and Arkansas (Clinton). 33 States have never produced a president. *Note: Eisenhower was a resident of New York when elected to his first term, and of Pennsylvania when elected to his second. Nixon was from New York when first elected, but he was really a Californian, and I believe he counted this as his residence when elected to his second term.
Of 2016’s contenders, here are their ages. No further evaluations will be made.
Age at Inauguration Age at end of First Term
Bernie Sanders 75 79
Hillary Clinton 69 73
Donald Trump 70 74
Ted Cruz 46 50
Marco Rubio 45 49
Ben Carson 65 69
Jeb Bush 63 67
John Kasich 64 68
