10 Things You Didn't Know About Presidential Speeches
Compiled by the U.S. News library staff
1. George Washington's inaugural address was only 135 words—the shortest on record (April 30, 1789).
2. William Henry Harrison's inaugural address came in at 8,445 words—the longest on record (March 4, 1841).
3. During a speech in 1848, Abraham Lincoln reportedly coined the word Michigander. At the time, he was referring to Lewis Cass (the governor of the Michigan Territory), but the term now includes all residents of the state.
4. In 1890, President Benjamin Harrison made 140 speeches during a 31-day trip to the Pacific Coast and back. The New York Times said the speeches were "remarkable for felicity of expression and showed his ability to make a large number of short speeches a day, each having a distinct thought."
5. Theodore Roosevelt was campaigning for another term in Milwaukee, when he was shot in the chest (Oct. 14, 1912). He reportedly said, "It takes more than that to kill a bull moose," and delivered the planned campaign speech.
6. Calvin Coolidge's inaugural address was the first to be broadcast nationally by radio (March 4, 1925).
7. Harry S. Truman's inaugural address was the first to be televised (Jan. 20, 1949).
8. John F. Kennedy practiced with a German interpreter to get his pronunciation correct before his famous "I am a Berliner" speech. He also wrote the phrase out phonetically on a notecard: "Ish been ein Bearleener" (1963).
9. To pull a larger television audience, Lyndon Johnson moved his State of the Union speech (Jan. 4, 1965) from the afternoon to the evening—a practice that continues today.
10. William J. Clinton's second inauguration was the first to be broadcast live on the Internet (Jan. 20, 1997).
Sources:
Associated Press Worldstream: "Facts about John F. Kennedy's 1963 'Ich bin ein Berliner' speech." Nov. 9, 2006
Congressional Research Service: "The President's State of the Union Message: Frequently Asked Questions."
Facts on File World News Digest
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies: "Facts and Firsts."
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies: "Inaugural Address."
National Park Service: "Just for Fun: Presidential Trivia."
New York Times: "Comment of the London Press." March 14, 1901
Oxford English Dictionary Online: Michigander
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