Today....March First
1781 The new United States was actually formed with the
adoption of the Articles of Confederation. Although the
document was agreed upon by Congress on Nov. 15, 1777,
but was not signed until Maryland agreed to it on this date.
Upon the signing, John Hanson (the first man to serve a full term in this position)
is considered to be the first President, from 11/5/1781 to 11/3/1782
The origin of the claim that Hanson is the "forgotten" first President stems from a 1932 book by Seymour Wemyss Smith titled John Hanson - Our First President. Nevertheless, officially Hanson was the third presiding officer of the Congress of the United States, and he considered himself a successor to the first two men to hold the office, Samuel Huntington and Thomas McKean, who themselves were successors to prior Presidents of the Second Continental Congress. Nor was the office an executive position like the office of President that was created under the Constitution.
Hanson was, however, the first to serve a full one-year term, and the first to formally use the title President of the United States in Congress Assembled.
*****A Note on President
And, on this date, Napoleon escaped from Elba, the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped, Palestinian Rashid Baz killed a Jewish child on the Brooklyn Bridge, Chaing Kai-shek became the first president of China, Ohio and Nebraska became states, and FM Radio began in the U.S.
Each on its own March First.
1781 The new United States was actually formed with the
adoption of the Articles of Confederation. Although the
document was agreed upon by Congress on Nov. 15, 1777,
but was not signed until Maryland agreed to it on this date.
Upon the signing, John Hanson (the first man to serve a full term in this position)
is considered to be the first President, from 11/5/1781 to 11/3/1782
The origin of the claim that Hanson is the "forgotten" first President stems from a 1932 book by Seymour Wemyss Smith titled John Hanson - Our First President. Nevertheless, officially Hanson was the third presiding officer of the Congress of the United States, and he considered himself a successor to the first two men to hold the office, Samuel Huntington and Thomas McKean, who themselves were successors to prior Presidents of the Second Continental Congress. Nor was the office an executive position like the office of President that was created under the Constitution.
Hanson was, however, the first to serve a full one-year term, and the first to formally use the title President of the United States in Congress Assembled.
*****A Note on President
And, on this date, Napoleon escaped from Elba, the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped, Palestinian Rashid Baz killed a Jewish child on the Brooklyn Bridge, Chaing Kai-shek became the first president of China, Ohio and Nebraska became states, and FM Radio began in the U.S.
Each on its own March First.
