Presidential Trivia Answers (Dec. 22 & 23)

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(1) QUESTION: Which President was honored on an official White House Christmas ornament because he was the first to purchase a car for the White House?

ANSWER: William Howard Taft. He asked Congress, which appropriated $12K for the purpose. In 2012, the White House Christmas Ornament depicted him in an automobile, delivering Christmas presents.

(2) QUESTION: One year, the national Christmas tree was hastily decorated and lit *after* Christmas was already over. Which President asked for the late Christmas tree lighting? Bonus points if you know why the tree was decorated so late in the first place.

ANSWER: Ronald Reagan. He had the tree hastily prepared in January 1981. It welcomed the Iran hostages home. Reagan’s decision followed in the wake of actions taken by Jimmy Carter. In 1979, Carter had the star atop the tree lit, but left the rest of it dark. “We will turn on the other lights on the tree,” he announced, “when the American hostages come home.” In December 1980, the tree was lit for only 417 seconds: Each second represented one day of captivity for the hostages.

(3) QUESTION: One President had a daughter that was born on Christmas Day. She unfortunately contracted typhoid and passed away just a few years later. Christmas was understandably a somber affair in this President’s White House. Which President?

ANSWER: William McKinley. Katherine McKinley was only 3.5 years old when she passed away. She was preceded in death by her younger sister. Mrs. McKinley never really recovered from these events. Making matters worse, the First Lady had unfortunately developed some sort of seizure disorder in the years after her marriage. The President was very attentive to his wife during her illness, and she was on his mind when he was shot by an assassin in 1901. “My wife, be careful, [George] Cortelyou, how you tell her,” he said as he lay wounded, “oh, be careful.”