Today in American history…President James Garfield was born in Moreland Hills, Ohio on November 19, 1831.

He would become our 20th US President on March 4, 1881.

He served in the Union Army during the Civil War and quickly rose to the rank of Major General.

He is the only US President to have been elected while a sitting member of the United States House of Representatives (Ohio’s 19th District) and represented the State of Ohio from 1863-1880.

President Garfield was elected to the US Senate from Ohio in 1880 but never served due to being elected as the President of the United States.

Only in office for four short months, President Garfield was assassinated on July 2, 1881 and succumbed to his wounds on September 19, 1881.