Category Archives: History

How many future U.S. Presidents signed the Declaration of Independence?

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were the only two out of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence to go on to become President of the United States.  John Adams, a Federalist, was the second President of the United States (1797-1801) following two terms as Vice President under President George Washington (1789-1797).  Thomas Jefferson, a [...]
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Who was the first Republican President?

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln became the first U.S. President from the Republican Party.  Founded on February 28, 1854, the Republicans initially consisted largely of former Whig Party members, with the group primarily running on the platform of opposing the expansion of slavery into new territories.  Earlier, the Whig Party and the current Democratic Party both split off [...]
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What is the inscription on the Liberty Bell?

The Liberty Bell is inscribed as follows: Proclaim LIBERTY throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof Lev. XXV X By Order of the ASSEMBLY of the Province of PENSYLVANIA for the State House in PhiladA Pass and Stow PhiladA MDCCLIII The inscription is derived from the Bible verse Leviticus 25:10, which reads “And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, [...]
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What was the largest diamond ever found?

The largest diamond ever found was the Cullinan diamond, weighing in at a whopping 3,106.75 carats (621.35 grams).  The Cullinan diamond was discovered January 26, 1905 in South Africa by Frederick Wells and named after the diamond mine’s owner, Sir Thomas Cullinan.  It was later cut into nine smaller diamonds, including the 530.20 carat Cullinan I, [...]
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What was the first Halloween costume?

The first Halloween costumes were of Celtic origin and date back over 2,000 years.  The Celts’ new year began on November 1, marking the end of the summer harvest and beginning the winter (a time they associated with death).  The day before the new year, October 31, the Celts believed the ghosts of the dead [...]
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