Presidential Trivial Quiz

Opinion Journal ^ | 05/09/2006 | James Taranto

[Responsibility2nd]

We're away today on a reporting assignment; back to normal tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a moderately difficult presidential trivia quiz. We'll announce the answers somtime soon, but if you know them, write us at opinionjournal@wsj.com. The first reader to get all 10 right wins a year's subscription to WSJ.com (and a mention in the column). If you need help, try "Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and the Worst in the White House," which is avilable from the OpinionJournal bookstore.

[Responsibility2nd]

1. Who was the only major-party presidential nominee whose last name rhymed with the name of his home state?

2. In what order are the following presidents listed?

Wilson
Reagan
George W. Bush
Grant
Truman
Ford
John Quincy Adams
Nixon
Polk
Clinton
Taft
George H.W. Bush
William Henry Harrison
Cleveland
Harding
Kennedy
Carter
Franklin Roosevelt
Eisenhower
Hoover
Coolidge
Hayes
Lyndon Johnson
Arthur
Garfield

3. Twelve presidents have served exactly one full term in office. One of them served a different number of days than the other 11. Who and why?

4. In what order are the following presidents listed?

Wilson
Lyndon Johnson
Washington
Andrew Johnson
McKinley
Jackson
Taft
Jackson (again)
Kennedy

5. If ___ lives past Veterans Day, he will become ___.

6. What is it?

John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Barry Goldwater, Gerald Ford, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis and Bob Dole did it.

Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern and John Kerry failed to do it.

Thomas Dewey did it once and failed once.

Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton did it twice.

Abraham Lincoln, Adlai Stevenson, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush failed twice.

Grover Cleveland and Richard Nixon did it three times.

William Jennings Bryan failed three times.

7. If it's Friday and the post office is closed, which president's birthday is it?

8. In what order are the following presidents listed?

Nixon
Jackson
Taft
Ford
Lyndon Johnson
Grant and McKinley
Coolidge
Fillmore
Madison
Cleveland
Arthur
Theodore Roosevelt
Truman
Andrew Johnson
Tyler
Pierce

9. Eleven presidents have served exactly two full terms in office. One of them served a different number of days than the other 10. Who and why?

10. If Ted Kennedy had been elected president in 1980, he and George Washington would have had in common something that only two actual presidents do. What and who?

[jmc813]

self-bump for later

[cvq3842]

Wow! I thought I knew a lot, but I'm fairly well stumped on most, if not all, of these.

Let's see what the combined brainpower of FR comes up with. It will be a wonder to behold! (I mean it!)

[NYIslander]

"3. Twelve presidents have served exactly one full term in office. One of them served a different number of days than the other 11. Who and why? "

Jimmy Carter? I think they changed inauguration day in 1932.

[synbad600]

I'm guessing #1 rhymes with Maine. Paine? Does he fit the bill?

[Cagey]

Well, one or two will "claim" to come up with the answers and let you know how smart they are and how easy the quiz is. However their invisible assistant, Frankie Google, is a wonderful friend.

[So Cal Rocket]

Was Fremont from Vermont?

[camle]

Blaine?

[Responsibility2nd]

Hennesey from Tennessee

(OK, I just made that up)

[Yogafist]

bump

[So Cal Rocket]

Blaine was indeed from Maine.

[NYIslander]

I got #1. James Blaine of Maine.

[SAJ]

Yep. Good job.

If Ford lives past Veteran's Day, he will become the ex-President with the longest lifespan.

If the Post Office is closed on Friday, it's the day after T-Day. Whichever Pres was born the last week in November.

[Blzbba]

1. Ummm...???

2. Reverse alphabetical order of middle name (or initial, in the case of Truman)

3. Andrew Johnson due to being impeached?

4. No clue

5. Gerald Ford...oldest living ex President?

6-10 - No clue.

Really, these answers are more 'bumps for later' than anything else!

[So Cal Rocket]

I believe #2 is listed in reverse alphabetical order, based on their middle names.

[NC28203]

>>>"3. Twelve presidents have served exactly one full term in office. One of them served a different number of days than the other 11. Who and why? "

>>>Jimmy Carter? I think they changed inauguration day in 1932

The inauguration date was changed to January 20th with FDR's second inauguration in 1937, so his first term would have been shorter by a few weeks, but he doesn't quite meet the one full term requirement.

[NYIslander]

#5...how far away is Gerald Ford from being the longest-living ex-president? He has to be ancient by now.

[cvq3842]

I think probably someone inaugurated on a Monday because inauguration day fell on a Sunday. Would have served a day less.

[Big Otto]

"John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Barry Goldwater, Gerald Ford, Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis and Bob Dole did it.


Hubert Humphrey, George McGovern and John Kerry failed to do it. "

Anything to do with Viagra?

[camle]

I'd hazzard a guess that the answer has something to do with leap year...?