THE PUZZLE CORNER: FEBRUARY 23, 2013

Hello Everyone. It's not too warm in some parts of the world right now, but it's always nice and cozy in the Puzzle Corner. Case in point:

WORD SEARCH
It's been ages since we last did one of these. Despite the fact this website unfortunately does not have a true interactive function; based upon the clues below, can you find the Roman numerals either backwards or forwards within the line?

I M M X I I I X X

01. A dozen
02. The unlucky number?
03. This century
04. The first appearance of H.A.L.
05. This year

TRIVIA TIME
What musical group is celebrating their 55th anniversary this year?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX, and discover the results of our FAMOUS FIRSTS PRESIDENTIAL QUIZ from the February 16 Puzzle Corner.

Who was the first President of the United States...

01. To have previously served as Vice President?

Independent #3

John Adams, during the George Washington administration.

02. To serve without a Vice President?

James Madison, from April 10, 1812 to March 4, 1813.

03. To hold the office as an Independent? (And yes, it has been done.)

George Washington, for he never declared any political alliance, except to the fledgling United States of America itself. John Tyler has been the only other independent President (to date) resigning from the Whig party after disagreeing with their policies while in office.

04. To hold the office as a Democrat?

Andrew Jackson.

05. To hold the office as a Republican?

Abraham Lincoln.

The 1st Republican

06. To be born in the United States? (After it became an independent country.)

Martin Van Buren. While everyone before him was considered a citizen, he was the first born on American soil after the United States won its independence to be a country unto itself.

07. To not be born within the continental United States?

Our current President, Barack Obama, hails from Hawaii, although the Republican Party tries to convince people otherwise.

08. To be born in a hospital?

Jimmy Carter, because his mother was on duty working in one when she went into labor with the future President. Otherwise, Richard Nixon would have been the first.

08. To physically live in the White House?

This unfortunately is a trick question. While technically this honor might be considered John Adams’, for he and his family took occupancy while the White House was still under construction, officially Thomas Jefferson was the first to occupy the structure during his entire administration.

09. To work in the Oval Office? (The West Wing, where it resides, was a later addition.)

William Howard Taft.

10. To remarry while in office?

John Tyler

11. To ever have his photograph taken?

This is another trick question. John Quincy Adams was the very first, but it was as a former President. James Buchanan is the first to be photographed IN office.

12. To ever use a telephone?

Rutherford B. Hayes. But Calvin Coolidge was the first to actually have a phone at his desk. Hayes made and received his calls from the White House switchboard, before direct lines were established.

13. To ever speak on radio?

Woodrow Wilson, predating Franklin Delano Roosevelt's famous weekly "fireside chat" radio addresses.

14. To ever appear on television?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, during a demonstration of the device during the 1939 World's Fair.