By: Chris McManigal
No matter who wins the upcoming election on November 8th, another milestone among our Presidents will be reached. If Hillary Clinton wins, she will be the first woman President in US history and if Donald Trump wins he will be the first billionaire.
But there have been many firsts over the years. Here is a look back at many of them.
The ultimate first is, of course, our first President, George Washington. He became President after being elected by a unanimous Congressional vote in 1789. He was also the first President to appear on a stamp in 1847.
John Adams was the first President to live in the White House when it was completed in 1800.
John Quincy Adams was the first President whose father, John Adams, had also been the President.
Andrew Jackson was the first and only President that killed someone in a duel. Before he became President Jackson shot and killed a man named Charles Dickenson over a horse race bet in 1806.
Martin Van Buren was the first President to have spoken English as a second language. His first being Dutch. Also, he was the first President to have been a born citizen of the US. All Presidents prior to him had been British subjects.
William Henry Harrison was the first President to have his photograph taken while in office in 1841.
James Buchanan was the first President that had never been married.
Abraham Lincoln was the first President to be assassinated when he was shot in the head in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth while watching a play. He was also the first President to appear on a coin in 1909.
James Garfield was the first left-handed President.
There have been many Presidential firsts involving transportation. Andrew Jackson was the first to ride a train in 1833, William McKinley was the first to ride in a car in 1899 and Theodore Roosevelt was the first to fly in an airplane in 1910.
Woodrow Wilson became the first President to address the public over the radio in 1923. He was also the first to have a Doctorate.
Herbert Hoover was the first President to have a telephone at his desk during his term from 1929-1933.
John F. Kennedy was the first would-be President to have televised debates during the build up to the election in 1960. He was also the first and only Catholic President to have held office.
Richard Nixon was the first and thus far the only President to have resigned from office in 1974. He was also the first and only Quaker.
Jimmy Carter was the first President to be born in a hospital in 1924.
Ronald Reagan was the first and only President to have been divorced. Before marrying his second wife Nancy, he was married to fellow actor Jane Wyman.
Bill Clinton was the first President to send an email in 1998.
George W. Bush was the first President to stream his State of the Union address live over the internet in 2002.
Barack Obama became the first African-American President when he was elected in 2008.
