Celebration Excuse

This Day In History: The Election Edition

1860

Famous: Former Illinois congressman Honest Abraham Lincoln defeats three other candidates for the United States presidency.

1861

Infamous: Jefferson Davis is elected president of the Confederacy.

1888

Republican Benjamin Harrison is elected president, beating incumbent Grover Cleveland in the Electoral College, even though Cleveland won in the popular vote. Sound familiar?

1900

President William B. McKinley is re-elected, beating William Jennings Bryan.

1928

Republican Hubert Hoover’s elected president, beating Alfred E. Smith.

1956

President Dwight Eisenhower is re-elected, beating Adlai E. Stevenson.

2001

Billionaire Michael Bloomberg wins the mayor race in New York City.

and finally...

2002

A jury in Beverly Hills, Calif., convicts actress Winona Ryder of shoplifting $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue. Free Winona.

IT’S YOUR PARTY YOU CAN CRY IF YOU WANT TO

Forget Heroes and Friday Night Lights, we’re spending our Monday night partying with these birthday boys and girls: Reality Bites-ster Ethan Hawke, journalist / California’s First Lady Maria Shriver, and screen gem Sally Field will all be cutting the cake today.

Daybook

Campaign’s the name of the game, folks. So while today’s Daybook may be light, you can bet your bottom dollar your favorite politicians are up to all kinds of shenanigans as they make their final pushes.

PEOPLE

President Bush goes where everybody knows his name. President Bush “is penciled in for a rally with” Governor Rick Perry ® in Dallas’s Reunion Arena in Dallas, TX.

Also: President Bush attends a GOTV rally in Houston, TX.

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS...

...Are wondering if they’ll have jobs in 48 hours.