Happy birthday, Millard Fillmore!

January 7, 2007

Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800.

Fillmore was:

  • The 13th President of the United States
  • The first Chancellor of the university at Buffalo now known as the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York
  • The “handsomest man I ever met” according to Queen Victoria
  • Namesake of one of the earliest capitals of Utah, Fillmore, in Millard County
  • Almost definitely NOT the person responsible for putting plumbing in the White House, especially for the first plumbed bathtub.

Happy birthday, Mr. Fillmore! We hardly know ye, still!

(Prof. Parker at Another History Blog worked to dog down the quote attributed to Fillmore that I mentioned Friday:  “May God save the country, for it is evident that the people will not.”  He could not confirm the quote, but at least as good and probably better, he offers a free history database.  Go see.)

5 Comments | Accuracy, History, History blogs, Hoaxes, Millard Fillmore | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

“Honor the Texas Flag” especially when retiring it

January 7, 2007

Texas is a whole ‘nother place.

Flag etiquette is a concern of mine — no, not an obsession, despite the number of recent posts — and I try to stay alert to news on that front. Hangin’ with Scout leaders today I heard another one: Texas has a law that specifies how a soiled or tattered Texas flag should be retired.

U.S. flags should be retired in a respectful fashion, according to the non-binding U.S. flag code. Texas leaves a lot less up to the imagination or to chance. The law calls for a sober ceremony, but just in case you wonder, it also provides a suggested script for the ceremony, ending with the Texas Pledge. So far as I know, Texas is the only state that has a pledge of allegiance for the state flag, separate from the national Pledge of Allegiance (if you know of others, please tell!).

Image from State Office of Risk Management

The state law, in all its glory is below the fold (at least, that portion dealing with the Texas flag retirement ceremony). Read the rest of this entry »

12 Comments | Flag etiquette, History, Patriotism, Texas | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell