Yesterday, I wrote about presidential “lasts.” But today I turn the tide and look at some of those presidential “firsts.”
It could be the first anything. But in U.S. History, these presidential activities got put in the books and changed history forever.
We tend to remember the firsts far more than the lasts. They seem more defining. And easier to see.
So now. For yesterday’s answers. The first beard. The first impeachment. The first on TV.
That beard goes to Abraham Lincoln. He wasn’t just the president who led our country through its darkest divide. He was also the first to wear a full beard. It sounds kind of trivial. But really, it is not. I mean, look at how carefully “image” has always been managed in American politics.
I’m not sure why he chose to wear one, other than warmth. But. Lincoln’s beard became iconic. Almost his signature. Personally, I think he looked better clean-shaven.
On to the next. Impeachment.
Andrew Johnson holds the award for this one. He was the first U.S. president to be impeached.
His trial didn’t remove him from office. (Which he took right after Lincoln’s death, I might add). But this showed the nation, early on, that no president is untouchable. The process mattered as much as the outcome. And here we are today. Our current president has been impeached twice, but his supporters still clamor around his feet, kissing his shoes.
And the third mystery question from yesterday. Who was the first on TV?
That would be Franklin D. Roosevelt.
This big event happened on April 30, 1939, during the opening ceremonies of the New York World’s Fair.
At the time, television was still experimental. Hardly anyone had one. The folks who did were mostly engineers and exhibitors. However, there was a handful of households around New York who were able to tune in and see the broadcast.
But it marked a historic moment. The presidency stepped into a brand-new medium. There was no longer just radio and stump speeches. Instead, that television would later redefine politics, news, and public life. Power. The distance between the Oval Office and the average citizen became closer than ever.
There are lots of other firsts.
George Washington was the first to step into the office of the presidency. He had no blueprint and no precedents.
John Adams was the first to live in the White House.
Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. president to be assassinated.
Theodore Roosevelt became the youngest president.
Harry S. Truman was the first president to address the nation from the Oval Office.
John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president.
Ronald Reagan was the first divorced president
All of these “firsts” tell us something about our country’s history. Some tell us about the men themselves.
Presidential firsts aren’t just trivia. They mark change. Sometimes, far-reaching change.
“””””””
“The first step toward change is awareness.” — Nathaniel Branden
“””””””
“Progress is impossible without change.” — George Bernard Shaw
“”””””
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
— Seneca
“””””””
