(This was originally posted on April 24, 2018 as part of our series on the pivotal year of 1968. Though more about the protest than the President, it nevertheless chronicles a interesting time in American political history and tells a fascinating story from those turbulent times.)On May 17, 1968, nine Roman Catholic activists, who became known as ( Read more... )

On July 14, 1913 (109 years ago today) Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. was born in Omaha, Nebraska. When he was born his name was Leslie Lynch King Jr. He would later change his name because his birth father, Leslie Lynch King Sr., was physically abusive to Ford's mother and he preferred to honor his mother's second husband, a much kinder man and more of ( Read more... )

On December 21, 1970, a king of sorts visited the Oval Office and met with President Richard M. Nixon. I assume that most of you will recognize this royalty of sorts, none other than Elvis Aaron Presley. Presley met with Nixon at the White House in Washington, D.C. The meeting was initiated by Presley, who wrote Nixon a six-page letter requesting a ( Read more... )

Hiram Revels was the first African-American to serve in the United States Senate. But it would be almost a century before an African-American would win election to the Senate by a popular vote, another Republican. In 1967, Massachusetts would send Edward William Brooke III to the Senate, for two full terms. He represented Massachusetts in the ( Read more... )

Richard Nixon became President of the United States on January 20, 1969, marking one of the greatest political comebacks in history. After having failed to win the presidency in 1960 and the governorship of California in 1962, a petulant Nixon had told the press that they wouldn't "have Nixon to kick around" any more. He was wrong. He entered the ( Read more... )

How did the Watergate scandal affect the mid-term elections held in 1974, following the resignation of Richard Nixon? Pretty much as one might expect. In the House, Democrats gained 49 seats, increasing their majority from 242 to 291 seats, while Republicans dropped from 192 to 144, a loss of 48 seats. Democrats also won one seat formerly held by ( Read more... )

On December 26, 2006 (just 15 years ago today) Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr., the 38th President of the United States, and the only person to hold the office without ever having been elected President or Vice-President, died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, of arteriosclerotic cerebrovascular disease and diffuse arteriosclerosis. Up until ( Read more... )

In April of this year, President Joe Biden announced his administration's goal of completing the withdrawal of all United States troops in Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. The withdrawal took a significant step on July 5, 2021 when U.S. troops left Bagram airfield without telling the base’s new Afghan commander. Concerns were raised about ( Read more... )

On July 14, 1913 (108 years ago today) Gerald Rudolph Ford, Jr. was born in Omaha, Nebraska. When he was born his name was Leslie Lynch King Jr. He would later change his name because his birth father, Leslie Lynch King Sr., was physically abusive to Ford's mother and he preferred to honor his mother's second husband, a much kinder man and more of ( Read more... )

By coincidence, two of the leading contenders for the 1968 Republican nomination for President were born on this day, July 8th. Neither won the nomination, but both led in the race at one time, according to polling. Both are shown in the right in this picture, although, both were considered to the left of the political spectrum within their party ( Read more... )