Ulysses S. Grant (1822–1885) was the 18th President of the United States (1869–77). He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and retired after serving in the Mexican–American War. When the Civil War began in 1861, he rejoined the U.S. Army and won major victories at Shiloh and Vicksburg, and in the Chattanooga Campaign. After promotion to Commanding General, Grant confronted Robert E. Lee in a series of bloody battles in Virginia in 1864, trapping Lee's army in the siege of Petersburg. Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox on April 9, 1865, ended the war. After the war, he implemented Congressional Reconstruction. Elected president in 1868, Grant led the Republicans in their effort to remove the vestiges of Confederate nationalism, protect African American citizenship, and support economic prosperity nationwide. In foreign policy, Grant sought to increase American trade and influence, while remaining at peace with the world. His presidency has often come under criticism for tolerating corruption and, in his second term, leading the nation into an economic depression. After an unsuccessful attempt at nomination for a third term in 1880, he completed his memoirs, garnering critical acclaim and financial success.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_S._Grant

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1918:

World War I: Aníbal Milhais's actions during the Battle of the Lys made him the only person to be awarded Portugal's highest military honour, the Order of the Tower and Sword, directly on the battlefield. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Lys_(1918)

1939:

After being denied permission to perform at Constitution Hall by the Daughters of the American Revolution, African American singer Marian Anderson gave an open-air concert on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marian_Anderson

1940:

During the German invasion of Norway, Vidkun Quisling seized control of the government in a Nazi-backed coup d'état. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidkun_Quisling

1967:

The first Boeing 737 took its maiden flight, eventually becoming the most ordered and produced commercial passenger jet airliner in the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_737

2005:

Charles, Prince of Wales, married his long-time mistress Camilla Parker Bowles. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Charles,_Prince_of_Wales,_and_Camilla_Parker_Bowles

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

unheralded: Without prior warning; unexpected or unannounced. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/unheralded

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

He that has patience may compass anything.   --François Rabelais https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Rabelais