The Earth Did Not Crash Into the Sun

Today on Dave Does History, we’re cracking open one of the dustier chapters of the American presidency—one that begins not with fireworks and fanfare, but with cherries and spoiled milk. When President Zachary Taylor died unexpectedly on July 9, 1850, the nation turned to a man most Americans barely knew: Vice President Millard Fillmore. What followed was a presidency built on compromise, cautious pragmatism, and just enough action to hold the country together—for a while. Fillmore didn’t make grand speeches or lead men into battle. He was, by many accounts, a decent man in an indecent time. In today’s episode, we’ll explore Fillmore’s rise from a log cabin in upstate New York to the highest office in the land, the political drama that defined his presidency, and why history has been, let’s say, less than kind to his legacy. Strap in. It’s time to meet the most forgotten man ever to save a Union.