The first State of the Union - on this day in 1801. Thomas Jefferson mailed it in, setting the standard for more than a century. It was read to Congress by a clerk in the House of Representatives. It reflected Jefferson’s love for simplicity and dislike of ceremony /1 
The tradition of delivering a State of the Union in person only goes back to 1913, when Woodrow Wilson decided that he would read it to lawmakers himself. These days, no president would pass up an opportunity to have a national audience
One of the most dramatic lines ever uttered by a President: On this day in 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt, preparing to ask Congress to declare war on Japan, changed "a date which will live in world history" to the far more dramatic "infamy" /1
The House voted 388-1 to declare war on Japan and the Senate vote was 82-0. FDR, wearing a black armband in mourning for his late mother signed it that very afternoon - officially thrusting the United States into World War II /2
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Washington shifted to a war footing quickly. Machine guns popped up across the city; a White House bomb shelter would soon be built. WWR recommends a wonderful book by the late David Brinkley: "Washington Goes to War"
Washington shifted to a war footing quickly. Machine guns popped up across the city; a White House bomb shelter would soon be built. WWR recommends a wonderful book by the late David Brinkley: "Washington Goes to War"
Headlines, this day, 1941
On This Day, 1993: Negotiated largely during the administration of George H.W. Bush, the new North American Free Trade Agreement - encompassing the U.S., Canada and Mexico - was signed by Bill Clinton
A massive expansion of Medicare: On this day in 2003, George W. Bush signed a bill adding prescription drug benefits to the health program. Critics warned the Medicare expansion would mean trillions of dollars in spending for future taxpayers
