Andrew Johnson (1808–1875) was the 17th President of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. Johnson was elected to the House of Representatives in 1843, became Governor of Tennessee in 1853, and was elected to the Senate in 1857, where he sought passage of the Homestead Bill. As Southern states, including Tennessee, seceded to form the Confederacy, Johnson remained firmly with the Union. As a War Democrat in 1864, he was a logical choice as running mate for President Abraham Lincoln, who wished to send a message of national unity. Johnson was sworn in as vice president in March 1865; six weeks later, the assassination of Lincoln made him president. Johnson directed the seceded states to hold conventions and elections to re-form their civil governments. When Congress passed bills for a more severe Reconstruction, he vetoed them, but Congress overrode him, setting a pattern for the remainder of his presidency. When he tried to dismiss Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in possible violation of the Tenure of Office Act, he was impeached by the House of Representatives, and narrowly avoided removal from office. Although his ranking has fluctuated over time, he is generally considered among the worst American presidents.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1071:

Norman forces, under the command of Robert Guiscard, conquered the city of Bari, the capital of the Catepanate of Italy. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Bari

1638:

A rebellion by Catholic Japanese peasants in Shimabara over increased taxes was put down by the Tokugawa shogunate, resulting in greater enforcement of the policy of national seclusion. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimabara_Rebellion

1912:

The passenger liner RMS Titanic sank about two hours and forty minutes after colliding with an iceberg, killing more than 1,500 people. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_RMS_Titanic

1986:

U.S. armed forces began bombing Libya to try to reduce that country's ability to support international terrorism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_United_States_bombing_of_Libya

1995:

At a GATT ministerial meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco, representatives of 124 countries and the European Communities signed an agreement to establish the World Trade Organization. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Trade_Organization

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

eschatology: 1. (countable) System of doctrines concerning final matters, such as death. 2. (uncountable) The study of the end times — the end of the world, notably in Christian theology the second coming of Christ, the Apocalypse or the Last Judgment. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/eschatology

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than with the imagination being awake?   --Leonardo da Vinci https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Leonardo_da_Vinci