The backbiting, the negative ads, the public scandals ... yes, the campaign of 1824 wasn't at all pretty. The road to the presidency has long been littered with intrigue and suspense. Find out more by testing your knowledge of the high and low points of American politics.
1. Which presidential candidates faced off in the first televised debate?
Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter
John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon and Hubert Humphrey
2. Which newspaper prematurely reported Harry Truman's defeat in the 1948 election?
The Dallas Morning News
Chicago Tribune
The Indianapolis Star
3. Who was the first president to try to recapture the White House on a third-party ticket?
Martin Van Buren
Millard Fillmore
Theodore Roosevelt
4. What post did Dwight Eisenhower hold when he was nominated as the Republican candidate in 1952?
General Electric chairman
General Motors president
General of the Army
5. In 1980, which journalist helped coach Republican candidate Ronald Reagan for a debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter?
Columnist William Safire
Columnist George Will
TV reporter Sam Donaldson
6. Which candidate delivered a 50-minute speech to supporters with a bullet lodged in his chest?
Herbert Hoover
James Garfield
Theodore Roosevelt
7. Which Democratic candidate had to endure the taunts of "Ma! Ma! Where's my pa?" from the Republicans?
Andrew Jackson
Franklin Pierce
Grover Cleveland
8. In 1824, what accusation did supporters of John Quincy Adams make against Andrew Jackson's wife, Rachel?
Bigamy
Witchcraft
Poor fashion sense
9. What famous quip helped former Vice President Walter Mondale win the 1984 Democratic nomination over Colorado Sen. Gary Hart?
"Are you finished yet?"
"Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."
"Where's the beef?"
10. Which president sometimes campaigned in German?
James Garfield
Warren Harding
John F. Kennedy
11. Who was the first president of all 50 states?
Lyndon Johnson
Calvin Coolidge
Dwight Eisenhower
12. Who was the first president to live in the White House?
John Adams
John Quincy Adams
William Henry Harrison
13. Who was the first 20th century-born president in the White House?
Bill Clinton
John F. Kennedy
Ronald Reagan
14. Who was the first president to visit all 50 states?
Richard Nixon
Dwight Eisenhower
Theodore Roosevelt
15. Who was the first president to be born outside the 13 original states?
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Jackson
Ronald Reagan
