The infamous Wilson, an early 20th-century progressive whose favorite movie, “The Birth of a Nation,” resurrected the Ku Klux Klan, already endured hypertension, migraines, and double vision before being sworn into office. Along with these maladies, Wilson suffered a series of strokes, blinding him in one eye, and paralyzing the left side of his body – forcing the ailing president into a wheelchair.
Once intrepid reporters revealed the secret of Wilson’s paralysis, the story instigated the eventual passage of the 25th Amendment, which states the vice president will assume power upon the president’s death, resignation, or incapacitation.