3 Presidential Close Calls
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- čas přidán 12. 08. 2021
- Sometimes, what almost happened in history is as interesting as what actually happened. While the “Great Man” theory of history is often criticized, there are some figures in history whose individual actions or personalities played significant roles in their times, and whose absence could have changed things significantly. Many times in history country leaders have narrowly escaped death. Some of those events could have ended important presidencies almost before they began.
This is original content based on research by The History Guy. Images in the Public Domain are carefully selected and provide illustration. As very few images of the actual event are available in the Public Domain, images of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by JCG
#ushistory #thehistoryguy #POTUS
When I was in high school, I found history class to be extremely boring, and literally failed US History in the 11th grade. Obviously, my teachers were nothing like you. Thank you so much for the education. I very much appreciate your work, and can now safely say that I love history.
I would never want to be famous or a politician. Being unknown is a gift.
You could almost add another one. I was on the security detail for the “Three Amigos Summit” between George Bush, Steven Harper, and Vicente Fox. We were way out on the outer perimeter in the thick woods in Montebello, Quebec, and we were told to step off the path as Bush and a Canadian Minister, Stockwell Day were out for a bike ride. We stepped into the thick woods, where we were surrounded by poison ivy and being eaten by bugs. We waited… and waited…and waited… and people started to grumble. I was right by one of the “spoke” paths that intersected with the outer rim path by the outer perimeter fence and several nearby people asked me peek around the corner and see if I could see him. I finally decided to do it - it was a huge facility, what were the odds he’d be there? I stepped out, and there was President George Bush, about 5 feet away, riding towards me at top speed, with a red-faced Day right behind him. I dove out of the way, and he missed me by inches. I often wonder how history would have described me if I’d been a second slower and he’d broken his neck flipping over me? Nothing like going down in history as “the stupidest accidental presidential assassin”. Oops. I actually met George Bush again, shortly after President Obama assumed power. He was very nice to us security folks and took the time to meet with each of us and shake our hands. I thought of asking him if he remembered the guy he almost plowed into, and chickened out. :-)
I love the picture of the cat on your wall. I was reading today that with patience you can train your cat to do whatever he wants when he wants to do it.
I love how a 49 year old hat enjoying Lady saved a president. She should've got the medal of Valor, especially since we just give them to celebrities now.
Vice-President John Nance Garner was born on November 22, 1868. On November 22, 1963, he celebrated his 95th birthday. President John Kennedy, who was visiting Texas at the time, called the former Vice-President to wish him well. Shortly after the call, President Kennedy embarked on a motorcade drive through downtown Dallas. Sadly, not every Presidential assassin misses the mark.
You should teach history teachers how to teach history.
I feel terrible about Agent Craig. He seems to have been a really good and brave man.
There is a whole genre of Science Fiction built around "what ifs". "The Man in the High Castle" is one of the better known.
These stories bring home the fact that politicians do not escape personal tragedy any more than the rest of us. The story about the son killed in the train wreck was heartbreaking.
7:57
Another contra thought: Had John Kennedy not been assassinated, it is unlikely the US would have seen the Voting Rights Act passed or the Great Society legislation. Both were passed under the Johnson presidency using his overwhelming skills as a legislative leader and Johnson's use of the memory of Kennedy to gain overwhelming support for the acts.
While there is the "Great Man Theory" that suggests history hinges of certain influential individuals, I think there's also the "Happenchance Theory." That trolley hit Roosevelt's carriage because some people were late ,but what if everyone had been on time? What if there was no chair for that short assassin to stand on? History often hinges on the seemingly small details.
Great vlog as always! King Olav of Norway was once asked why he did not have any bodyguards. «I do not need it. I have 4 mill of them.»
As a Canadian, I still find you the most entertaining history teacher in my over 60 years of learning. Like Molly Bell, my high school history teachers were so boring, so much so that I was forced to take other subjects so I wouldn't fall asleep in school. I like that you don't only teach American history. How refreshing.
So did the top brass of the Pittsfield railway company suffer any consequences for breaking the rules and putting a trolley in service for their own selfish reasons? 🤨
Almost all the electric chairs were called "Old Sparky".
Teddy Roosevelt was always interested in new technology. He was the first president to travel underwater in an experimental submarine in 1905. He also wanted to be the first president to fly and planed to attend an exhibition where Orville Wright was demonstrating his machine for the military. This occurred on September 17 1908. Some other business delayed Roosevelt from attending the event. It is fortunate that he was not there because the propeller broke after several test flights and the crash resulted in the death of Orvilles passenger. Had Roosevelt attended the exhibition, he certainly would have wanted to take a flight and he might have need up being the world's first airline fatality.
A few years ago, I was researching an article about a claim that the first outdoor flash photo was taken in Elizabeth, New Jersey (it wasn’t actually the first). The claim was made for a nighttime photo of President Woodrow Wilson who came to make a speech at the city’s National Guard Armory. Newspapers reported his motorcade took a route paralleling a streetcar line and, as with the case with Roosevelt mentioned in this video, the streetcars were supposed to be stopped. A motorman evidently did not get the memo and when his passengers recognized Wilson, the egged him on to give chase. He was stopped by Secret Service who inserted their car between the streetcar and Wilson’s car and threatening to arrest him on the spot. While a minor thing, it is a curious reminder that, back when streetcars were more ubiquitous in such urban areas, they were a potential “threat” that Secret Service had to look out for.
I had no idea about any of these three events. I was familiar with the other assassination attempts you mentioned happening. It's crazy to think about Teddy cheating death twice like that.