Mike Purdy's Presidential History Blog
Recent Biographies of Presidential Wives
Here's a quick list of some recent biographies that have been published about the wives of the presidents:Ellen and Edith: Woodrow Wilson's First Ladies by Kristie Miller Pat Nixon: Embattled First Lady by Mary C. Brennan Eleanor Roosevelt: Transformative First...
Benjamin Harrison Born on August 20, 1833
178 years ago, Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio. He served just one term as president, book-ended by Grover Cleveland's two non-consecutive terms. Harrison's grandfather was William Henry Harrison, the nation's 9th president who died...
The End of the 20 Year Curse
For more than 100 years, starting with the 1840 presidential election, every president elected in 20 year increments (1860, 1880, 1900, 1920, 1940, and 1960) died in office. Curse Broken: Only with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980 was the curse...
Harding’s Pompous Phrases
Warren Harding President Warren Harding, who looked like a president, but probably never should have become president, could be challenging to listen to when he delivered speeches.William McAdoo, President Wilson's Secretary of the Treasury and his son-in-law,...
Jefferson on Doing His Country the Most Good
Thomas Jefferson wrote that:He who would do his country the most good...must go quietly with the prejudices of the majority until he can lead them into reasonIt's a good reminder that in politics, we need leaders who will be patient, practical, and not dogmatic. Mike...
Herbert Hoover’s 137th Birthday
Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover, the nation's 31st president, was born on August 10, 1874 in West Branch, Iowa. The Great Humanitarian, who served just one term, died on October 20, 1964, at age 90.Widely touted for his engineering expertise and humanitarian...
Nixon Not the First President to Think of Resigning
Richard Nixon Thirty-seven years ago today, on August 9, 1974, Richard M. Nixon became the first President of the United States to resign from office. Faced with the Watergate scandal and the increasing likelihood that he would be impeached by the House of...
Colonel Roosevelt
I just finished reading Colonel Roosevelt, the third and final volume of Edmund Morris' masterful story of Theodore Roosevelt's life. Trilogy: Beginning with The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, which takes readers up to Roosevelt's presidency, and moving...
Bill Clinton Born With a Different Name
Bill Clinton In my blog entry of August 7, 2011, I identified six U.S. presidents who were born with different names. But I forgot to mention a seventh: Bill Clinton.Bill Clinton began life on August 19, 1946 as William Jefferson Blythe 4th. His...
Presidential Name Changes
The following half dozen U.S. presidents changed their names from their given name. Five of them took their middle name and made it their first name. One, Gerald Ford, changed first, middle, and last names. One, Bill Clinton, changed his last name. Mike Purdy's...
Subscribe to the Blog
Enter your email address to receive new blog posts in your inbox (free!)
About Mike
Mike Purdy is a presidential historian and author living in Seattle, Washington. As an expert in presidential history, Mike runs PresidentialHistory.com as a public resource.