On Wednesday, January 13, 2021, members of the US House of Representatives voted (232-197
) to impeach President Donald Trump for the second time in four years. The single article of impeachment charged the US leader with incitement of insurrection against the United States government on January 6, 2021. Here is how we got to this unprecedented moment and what to expect next.
The storming of the US Capitol
President Trump speaking to supporters at the Save America rally on January 6, 2021 (Credit: Voice of America,/Public domain/Wikimedia Commons)
At about 1:00 pm EST on January 6, 2021, US lawmakers gathered for a joint session in the House of Representatives chamber to count the 2020 electoral college votes. The event, which culminates with the Vice President declaring the election s official winner, entails states submitting sealed certificates with the number of electoral votes obtained by each presidential candidate. In the past, the largely ceremonial procedure has bee
William Brown Cooper (1811–1900), Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
The presidency of Andrew Johnson arrived as the result of a tragedy that shook the nation. Johnson who was born on this day 210 years ago took office after Abraham Lincoln was shot by assassin John Wilkes Booth in 1865. But that was far from the only notable milestone in Johnson’s term. In addition to buying Alaska, he became the first American president to face the consequences of impeachment. Keep reading for more on Johnson’s hardscrabble life and tenure as U.S. president.
1. Andrew Johnson never went to school.
Born in December 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina to two working-class parents, Johnson enjoyed few privileges while growing up. His childhood home was a log cabin; following the death of his father in 1812, he worked instead of attending school and apprenticed as a tailor. Though Johnson taught himself the fundamentals of reading, he didn’t receive a formal education until marrying Eliza McCa