Presidential Trivia Answers (Feb. 23 & 24)

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(1) QUESTION: One President thought it “rather absurd for a president to appear with a black eye or a swollen nose or a cut lip.” Which President?

ANSWER: Theodore Roosevelt, of course. The belief reportedly caused him to cut back on boxing after he became President.

(2) QUESTION: Who was the last Whig President?

ANSWER: Millard Fillmore. He was Vice President under Zachary Taylor and ascended to office when Taylor passed away. The Whig Party more or less imploded after that, leaving the presidency in Democratic hands until Republican Abraham Lincoln won in 1860.

(3) QUESTION: Which President(s) have served without a Vice President?

ANSWER: Seventeen of them! Before the 25th Amendment, no clear mechanism existed for replacing a Vice President if the office became vacant. The problem was finally addressed after JFK was assassinated in 1963. The new President, Lyndon B. Johnson, was known to have heart problems, and the next two individuals in the line of presidential succession were both above the age of 70. A constitutional amendment to fix the problem was finally able to gain momentum. It was approved by Congress in 1965 and ratified in 1967.