The Internet played a huge role in Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, but the 44th and current president of the United States wasn’t the first to use technology in a progressive way. Many presidents were early adopters of technology. In honor of President’s Day on February 21st, Aluratek takes a look at some other famous presidential technology firsts:
May 10, 1877 – Rutherford B. Hayes welcomed the first telephone into the White House. Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, gave him instructions on how to use it. President Grover Cleveland, who took office 16 years later, was said to have answered the White House phone personally.
1891 – The White House was first wired for electricity in 1891. Though Benjamin Harrison was in office, he and his wife were said to be so fearful of this new invention that they continued to use oil lamps, rather than electric lights.
June 14, 1922 – Warren G. Harding was the first president to give a speech over the radio. He also had the first radio installed in the White House in February of that same year.
October 5 1947 – Harry Truman made the first-ever televised presidential address from the White House. The first televised presidential debate didn’t occur until almost 13 years later during the 1960 Presidential Election.
October 21, 1994 – The First White House website was launched during Bill Clinton’s presidency. Bill Clinton was also the first president to send an email.
From AM radios to Internet radios and from books to eBook readers, it’s easy to see that technology has come a long way since the first telephone was installed in the White House over 130 years ago.
What will be the next Presidential technology first?
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