Years in Office: 1877 to 1881

Rutherford B. Hayes was a successful Lawyer and a fearless Civil War army officer. He was wounded four times and had four horses shot from under him. Hayes was elected President by a margin of 1 electoral vote. His election over Samuel Tilden ended the most disputed election in U.S. history. Hayes and his wife Lucy tried to set a good example for every American family; smoking, card playing, and the serving of people called her "Lemonade Lucy", but most praised her for her high standards and gracious manners.

When Hayes was President, Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and demonstrated it at the White House, the first electric street lights were used, and the custom of rolling Easter Eggs on the White House lawn begun.