For the first time, a presidential State of the Union address was rescheduled this year due to partisan politics. It’s the latest twist in an event whose history stretches back to the closing days of the 18th century.
How much do you know about the State of the Union speech? Take the quiz below and test your knowledge of the constitutional mandate that the president “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.”
1. Who delivered the first State of the Union speech?
A: George Washington, 1790
B. James Madison, 1812
C: Abraham Lincoln, 1865
D: William Howard Taft, 1911
2. Which president sent his report to Congress in writing, establishing a precedent that was followed for more than a century?
A: John Adams, 1797
B: Thomas Jefferson, 1801
C: John Quincy Adams, 1826
D: Chester Arthur, 1884
3. This president revived the custom of delivering the State of the Union in person to Congress.
A. William McKinley, 1899
B. Theodore Roosevelt, 1905
C. Woodrow Wilson, 1913
D. Herbert Hoover, 1930
4. This president had the first State of the Union address broadcast on radio.
A: Warren Harding, 1922
B: Calvin Coolidge, 1923
C: Franklin Roosevelt, 1933
D: Dwight Eisenhower, 1953
5. The first televised State of the Union address was delivered by:
A: Franklin Roosevelt, 1945
B: Harry Truman, 1947
C: John F. Kennedy, 1962
D: Richard Nixon, 1970
6. Two presidents never gave State of the Union reports because they didn’t live long enough. Who were they?
A: Abraham Lincoln and Benjamin Harrison
B: William McKinley and Warren Harding
C: Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore
D: William Henry Harrison and James Garfield
7. The longest address (in terms of time) lasted nearly 90 minutes, including applause. It was delivered by:
A: Ronald Reagan, 1988
B: George H.W. Bush, 1992
C: Bill Clinton, 2000
D: George W. Bush, 2005
8. Coming in at 1,089 words, which president had the shortest address based on word count?
A: George Washington, 1790
B: Martin Van Buren, 1838
C: Franklin Pierce, 1857
D: Grover Cleveland, 1887
9. Based on its staggering 33,667 words, which president’s address was the longest of all?
A: Andrew Johnson, 1867
B: Lyndon Johnson, 1967
C: Richard Nixon, 1973
D: Jimmy Carter, 1981
10: Which president’s address was first carried live on the internet via the House website?
A: Bill Clinton, 1998
B: George W. Bush, 2002
C: Barack Obama, 2009
D: Donald Trump, 2018
Answers: 1-A, 2-B, 3-C, 4-B, 5-B, 6-D, 7-C, 8-A, 9-D, 10-B
