Have You Heard, today (12/28) marks 183 years since South Carolina’s John C. Calhoun became the first Vice President of the United States to resign.
Calhoun is the only Vice President from South Carolina and he stepped down due to differences with the only President from South Carolina, Andrew Jackson.
However, Calhoun’s political career continued after his resignation.
The very next day (12/29/1832), he took a seat in the U.S. Senate, holding that for a little more than ten years before President John Tyler named him U.S. Secretary of State.
He lost that post when James Polk (who was born in North Carolina) succeeded Tyler in March of 1845. However, in November of that year, Calhoun went back to the U.S. Senate, holding that seat for 4 1/2 years, when he died in office.
Calhoun was 68.
The only Vice President other than Calhoun to resign was Richard Nixon’s first V.P., Spiro Agnew, in 1973.
2 1/2 months after that, and 42 years ago today (12/28/1973), President Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into law.
Actor Denzel Washington, who has won both a Best Actor (Training Day – 2001) and a Best Supporting Actor Oscar (Glory – 1989), is 61 today.
Dame Maggie Smith, who has won both a Best Actress (The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – 1969) and a Best Supporting Actress Oscar (California Suite – 1978), is 81 today.
403 years ago today, Galileo became the first astronomer to view the planet Neptune, although he mistakenly thought it was a fixed star.
Today is also “Card Playing Day.”
You can see “Have You Heard” each weeknight after weather on News13 at 11:00.
