(Image credit: (Bettmann/CORBIS))
Oct. 2, 1919: President Wilson suffered a near fatal stroke. It partially paralyzed him, and he had difficulty speaking or moving. While he slowly regained his health, First Lady Edith Wilson kept reporters, aides, and lawmakers away, signing documents and making decisions without consulting him. She became, in effect, the acting president and the most powerful first lady in history.
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