Master Index of Archived Threads


New Election Day presidential trivia

metsguyinmichigan Aug 05 2008 08:23 AM

It's primary election day here in Michigan, so the calendar provides some inspiration. Who was the first president born west of the Mississippi River?

seawolf17 Aug 05 2008 08:25 AM

Nixon? California?

metsguyinmichigan Aug 05 2008 08:26 AM

seawolf17 wrote: Nixon? California? Not Tricky Dick.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 05 2008 08:29 AM

My hunch is that our winner, whoever he is, was born in Missouri.

Frayed Knot Aug 05 2008 08:29 AM

Hoover - Iowa

Vince Coleman Firecracker Aug 05 2008 08:30 AM

Eisenhower was born in Texas, not sure if he was first.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 05 2008 08:34 AM

Turns out that Truman was the only President born in Missouri, and he obviously was after Hoover. I had thought that there was a 19th Century president from Missouri, but I was wrong.

metsguyinmichigan Aug 05 2008 08:59 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 05 2008 09:00 AM

Herbert Hoover, the pride of West Branch. Born in an house that is no bigger than most of our living rooms. Saw his museum last year, and it was really nice. Brilliant guy who doesn't get the love he deserves. Died a New Yorker in Shea's first year.

Benjamin Grimm Aug 05 2008 09:00 AM

One of only a few Presidents, I believe, to live to see his 90th birthday. (Ford and Reagan are recent examples. I think John Adams might be the only other.)

metsguyinmichigan Aug 05 2008 09:03 AM

Benjamin Grimm wrote: One of only a few Presidents, I believe, to live to see his 90th birthday. (Ford and Reagan are recent examples. I think John Adams might be the only other.) True! And Adams is amazing considering what the life-expectancy was at the time.

metsguyinmichigan Aug 05 2008 02:56 PM

I must correct myself. Back in those days, living until 90 was a feat, but a number of guys from that era reached the 80s. In fact, they loved longer than most of the people who followed them! Richard Norton Smith has a great book, "Who's Buried in Grant's Tomb" about presidenial burials sites and deaths that is far more interesting than you'd expect -- and not as morbid, either. Here's a listing of the chief executives and how long they lived: Washington: 67 Adams: 90 Jefferson: 83 Madison: 85 Monroe: 73 JQ Adams: 80 Jackson: 78 VanBuren: 79 Harrison: 68 Tyler: 71 Polk: 53 Taylor: 65 Fillmore: 74 Pierce: 64 Buchanan: 77 Lincoln: 56 Johnson: 66 Grant: 63 Hayes: 70 Garfield: 49 Arthur: 57 Cleveland: 71 B. Harrison: 67 McKinley: 58 Roosevelt: 60 Taft: 72 Wilson: 67 Harding: 57 Coolidge: 60 Hoover: 90 FD Roosevelt: 63 Truman: 88 Eisenhower: 78 Kennedy: 46 LB Johnson: 64 Nixon: 81 Ford: 93 Reagan: 93

Vince Coleman Firecracker Aug 05 2008 03:09 PM

If McCain is elected, he'd be older than 22 presidents were when they died.

Frayed Knot Aug 05 2008 03:12 PM

Generally if you were healthy enough in them thar days to survive all the childhood maladies and such (those are what really brought the avg life-span figures down) and make it to 'Prez age' of 50 or so, your shot at reaching 80 were reasonably good. Yeah there are life-lengthening procedures that didn't exist then but you weren't any "older" at 70 then than you are now.

Vince Coleman Firecracker Aug 05 2008 03:14 PM

Frayed Knot wrote: Generally if you were healthy enough in them thar days to survive all the childhood maladies and such (those are what really brought the avg life-span figures down) and make it to 'Prez age' of 50 or so, your shot at reaching 80 were reasonably good. Yeah there are life-lengthening procedures that didn't exist then but you weren't any "older" at 70 then than you are now. Yeah, high infant mortality rate will really drag down life expectancy.

sharpie Aug 05 2008 03:38 PM

James Polk has the distinction of being the youngest President to die who wasn't killed while in office.

AG/DC Aug 05 2008 05:14 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Aug 05 2008 05:24 PM

Yeah, a lot of folks I talk to have the wrong impression of earlier epochs when they read that the average lifetime is 37 or so. They think of folks hitting 35 and thinking "My time here is wrapping up." Washington survived every plague of the time. He was likely rendered sterile by one of them, but survivors were looked on as hardier folk, and they were in many cases.

Frayed Knot Aug 05 2008 05:23 PM

More than one comedian has worked those 'avg age of death' stats into a routine where 16 year-olds have mid-life crises and 28 y/o are moving to Florida, etc.