Apr 15 Watch 1:04 What inspired Abe Lincoln to grow a beard? By PBS News Hour In our NewsHour shares moment of the day, a look at a less familiar Abraham Lincoln -- one without a beard. In honor of the anniversary of his death 150 years ago, hear how a letter from an 11-year-old girl… Continue watching
Apr 14 April 14-15, 1865: The tragic final hours of Abraham Lincoln By Dr. Howard Markel The macabre details of Abraham Lincoln’s final hours were described in a report written by a 23-year-old Army captain named Charles A. Leale, a doctor who was at Ford's Theatre the night the president was assassinated. Continue reading
Oct 08 Why Washington — not Lincoln or FDR — had the hardest job of any U.S. president By Margaret Warner George Washington isn't the sexiest of American presidents in our public imagination, nor the most accessible. Perhaps we are all too weighed down by the "father of his country" image, the cherry tree myth, his powdered wig and bone-and-ivory (no,… Continue reading
Oct 08 Watch Why George Washington — not Lincoln of FDR — had the hardest job of any U.S. president By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Aug 08 Getting lucky: Why the economy has grown faster under Democratic presidents By Simone Pathe Over the past 64 years, from Harry Truman's first elected term through Barack Obama's first term, the economy has grown faster when Democrats are in the White House. How much of that is good policy versus good luck?… Continue reading
Apr 01 Baseball: the presidents’ pastime By Rachel Wellford President Barack Obama welcomed the 2013 World Series champions Boston Red Sox, at the White House on Tuesday One day after baseball season kicked off in America, President Obama hosted the Boston Red Sox on the South Lawn of the… Continue reading
Feb 17 Remembering Lincoln on Washington’s birthday By Travis Daub Happy Presidents Day. Unless you're Abe Lincoln, that is. As Hari Sreenivasan explained on Sunday's PBS NewsHour Weekend, the third Monday in February doesn't officially recognize the Great Emancipator. Instead, it's in the books as "Washington's Birthday." There is… Continue reading
Feb 17 Photo: Washington’s false teeth By News Desk https://twitter.com/BeschlossDC/status/435447570140106752 Historian Michael Beschloss shares this photo of one set of President Washington's false teeth. Mount Vernon has a wonderful writeup of the first president's complete dental history, noting that "When Washington was inaugurated President in 1789, only one… Continue reading
Sep 25 Watch Where They Stand: How Voters, Pollsters and Historians Judge Presidents Where They Stand: How Voters, Pollsters and Historians Judge Presidents… Continue watching
Jun 04 Queen Elizabeth and U.S. Presidents Over the Decades By Larisa Epatko Over her 60-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has been photographed with nearly a dozen U.S. presidents at galas, giving tours and simply enjoying life on horseback. Continue reading