#OTD20 | September 25, 1919
Woodrow Wilson's Debilitating Stroke: A Secret Crisis in American Governance
September 25, 1919: President Woodrow Wilson collapses while in Colorado, rallying public support for the League of Nations.
The president is rushed back to Washington. One week later he suffers a crippling stroke that leaves him incapacitated for weeks. For a time, Wilson hovers between life and death, visited only by close family and a few advisors. The country faces an unprecedented governance crisis, as there is no clear constitutional provision for declaring a president unable to perform duties.
President Wilson's stroke creates a power vacuum just as the U.S. Senate is debating the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Nations. Led by Henry Cabot Lodge, the Senate effectively ends Wilson's dream by refusing to ratify the treaty without reservations.
Although Wilson eventually regains control of his faculties, he never fully recovers, highlighting the risks of a single point of failure in the U.S. governance system.
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#OTD20
Step back in time to experience the significant events that happened on this day in the 20th century.
September 15, 1916: First Use of Tanks in Combat
#OTD20 — September 15, 1916: History is made as military tanks roll into combat for the first time during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, part of the Somme Offensive.
September 13, 1948: Margaret Chase Smith Elected to Senate
#OTD20 — September 10, 1948: Margaret Chase Smith is elected to the U.S. making her the first woman to serve in both chambers of Congress.
September 12, 1962: JFK Pledges “We Go to the Moon…”
#OTD20 — September 12, 1962: JFK delivers his “We Go to the Moon” address at Rice University, challenging the nation to land a man on the moon within the decade.
September 11, 1973: Coup Topples Government in Chile
#OTD20 — September 11, 1973: a military coup topples the democratically-elected government in Chile.
September 9, 1916. Woodrow Wilson Urges Patience on Women’s Suffrage
#OTD20 — September 9, 1916: President Woodrow Wilson speaks in Atlantic City, urging patience on the issue of women’s suffrage.
September 8, 1945. Korea Partitioned at 38th Parallel
#OTD20 — September 8, 1945: American troops arrive in Korea, initiating the division of the peninsula along the 38th parallel.
September 8, 1945: Huey “The Kingfish” Long Shot
#OTD20 — September 10, 1935: Senator Huey Long, a prominent figure during the Depression-era politics, is shot while at the Louisiana state capital in Baton Rouge.
September 7, 1940. Luftwaffe attacks. London Blitz Begins.
#OTD20 — September 7, 1940: The Blitz of London begins as the German Luftwaffe launches a devastating attack on the city. By day’s end, one thousand Londoners are dead.
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