When I was growing up, Lincoln had his very own birthday \u2014 nowadays, he\u2019s been kind of pushed aside and his birthday is lumped into President\u2019s Day and has just kind of gotten lost in all the February holidays. (This year they even scheduled the Super Bowl on Abe\u2019s birthday \u2014 traditionally, the game has been played on the first Sunday in February, but due to the fact that an extra game was added to the schedule, the Super Bowl was moved back to the second Sunday.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But there\u2019s not too much danger that people will forget about Abraham Lincoln. More than 15,000 books have been written about him \u2014 not including U.S. history textbooks. He\u2019ll always be remembered for his leadership during the Civil War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of course there are lots of \u201cLincoln things\u201d that don\u2019t make it into textbooks or biographies\u2026.
We know that Lincoln was one of the tallest presidents, but his voice seemed inappropriate for his height. Lincoln\u2019e voice has been described as \u201chigh-pitched and reedy.\u201d People that heard him speak often described his voice as \u201cunpleasant.\u201d For most people, however, the power of his words usually outweighed unpleasantness in his delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lincoln was acknowledged as a powerful writer and speaker but he had a weakness in spelling. Interestingly, the word \u201cinaugural\u201d was a problem \u2014 he wrote \u201cinaugeral\u201d on his handwritten copy of his second inaugural address. Even though he was president and gave inaugural address, he routinely misspelled \u201cinaugural.\u201d He probably would have loved today\u2019s spell check apps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Lincolns left the White House during the summer and lived in a cottage at the Soldier\u2019s Home. The Soldiers\u2019 Home is just three miles from the White House and in the city now, but in Lincoln\u2019s day, it was out in the country. Abe commuted to and from work on horseback \u2014 sometimes riding alone. His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, reportedly wasn\u2019t happy about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lincoln was invited to the dedication of the Soldiers\u2019 National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. But the main speaker was to be Edward Everett \u2014 one of the best known and most regarded orators of the day. Lincoln was invited to make \u201ca few appropriate remarks.\u201d Everett spoke for about two hours, and Lincoln spoke for about two minutes\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s a few interesting things about Abe \u2014 starting with the fact that he didn\u2019t like being called Abe. He preferred that people call him Abraham.
He loved animals and had a cat named Tabby and a dog named Fido. He liked the cat so much she ate dinner at the White House table.
Lincoln was the first president to be born outside the original 13 colonies.
He never slept in the Lincoln bedroom.\u00a0
Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, held s\u00e9ances in the White House.
He lost five separate elections before he became President of the U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So let\u2019s all remember Abraham Lincoln today on his 214th birthday. He\u2019s often quoted, but today, especially, remember that he said, \u201cI want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.\u201d
Happy Birthday Abe!
\u2014 30 \u2014<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When I was growing up, Lincoln had his very own birthday \u2014 nowadays, he\u2019s been kind of pushed aside and his birthday is lumped into President\u2019s Day and has just kind of gotten lost in all the February holidays. (This … Continue reading