The Current United States Flag Design Got a B- Grade
A 17 year-old Robert G. Heft designed the currently in-use 50 star flag as a class assignment at the Lancaster High School - the purpose being to recognize both Alaska and Hawaii. His teacher, unimpressed, gave him a B- for the design. When the flag was sent to Washington D.C. and selected by then President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the teacher changed the grade to an A.
Thousands had crafted designs for consideration, but Robert G. Heft was the only one to actually sew a flag with his design and send it to Washington. Heft died on December 12th, 2009.
The Statue of Liberty Wasn’t Green
The infrastructure of the statue is iron and it’s exterior is copper - which has turned green since it’s creation in 1875 due to oxidation. Now, the green coating prevents further damage and oxidation from happening.
There are no colored photographs of the statue in its original color.
The Liberty Bell Hasn’t Been Heard Since 1846
There’s very little evidence of what cracked the Liberty Bell the first time, but around 1840 a repair was needed. Repairing the crack would change the bell’s tone, so what metal workers did was spread the crack further, in order to recreate the original toll. The repair didn’t go well, and no one has heard the bell’s toll ever since.
The bell was first rung in July 8, 1776, to celebrate the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Before Becoming President, Grover Cleveland Hanged Two Men as a Sheriff
During his short time working as the sheriff of Erie County, New York, in 1872, Grover Cleveland hanged Patrick Morrissey for being accused of murdering his mother. In the next year, he hanged another murdered, John Gaffney.
Up to that point, Grover had been relatively unremarkable politically, but 13 years later, he would become President of the United States.
Virginia Is the Home of 8 American Presidents
In order of first presidential term:
- Thomas Jefferson (1801)
- James Madison (1809)
- James Monroe (1817)
- William Henry Harrison (1841)
- John Tyler (1841)
- Zachary Taylor (1849)
- George Washington (1879)
- Woodrow Wilson (1913)
All these former American presidents were born in the state of Virginia, making it the state where the most presidents were born in. Second place goes to Ohio (home of seven presidents) and third place to New York (home of five presidents).
Roosevelt Finished a Speech with a Bullet in His Chest
In 1912, during a campaign speech, Roosevelt was shot by a man named John Flammang Schrank. The bullet lodged in his chest, but was slowed down after passing straight through a steel eyeglass case and a 50-page written copy of his speech. Quickly noticing he was in no immediate danger, Roosevelt proceeded with his speech before accepting medical care, stating to the present audience:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot, but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose."
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