Interesting Facts - Page 3

Italy only dates to 1861.

Canada didn't become a country in 1867. It became a dominion, which was still part of the British Empire. While it was autonomous, the UK still controlled its foreign policy. Canada really became independent only with the Statute of Westminster 1931, or even arguably in 1982 when it gained the right to modify its constitution without the UK's consent.

Adams and Jefferson died in the 50th anniversary if the Declaration of Independence, written mainly by Jefferson. Monroe died on the 55th anniversary. Thus the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Presidents all died on the Fourth of July. Hannibal Hamlin, Lincoln's Vice President who was replaced 41 days before Lincoln was shot would have been the 17th President and died July 4 on the 115th anniversary. Reconstruction would have been radically different and there would have been no precedent for a President getting impeached when they decided to impeach Clinton for lying about extramarital sex behind his wife's back.

The Holy Roman Empire never got no respects from nobody nevers.

That is the same as to say that the United States existed as it is only since 1959 (when Hawaii was added). The Federal Republic of Germany has existed under that name and under that constitution since 1949. The German Democratic Republic (East) dissolved in 1990 and accepted to be part of the Federal Republic. Look at Wikipedia's last paragraph in the introduction of German reunification: "The post-1990 united Germany is not a successor state, but an enlarged continuation of the former West Germany."

I don't think that's how you should count it, given that modern germany (the federal republic of germany) only has existed since 1949, and unified germany since 1980; while France has existed since at least the 11th century

Germany as a concept appeared at the beginning of the 19th century. German Nationalism tried to retcon the history to make it appear longer, but it really is an artefact that grow after Napoleon and the American Revolution. Of course, as you said, Nationalism is a relativly young phenomenon in both countries, just that the US tends to ignore the Native history, while Germany tries to appropriate it.

Might as well bump him up to 99 years old, then he not only gets Carter, but Bush One who was born in 1924 as well.

I sincerely hope this is a joke.

It wasn't really about the world. Neither did Germany 'attempt' much more than the other major powers. Somehow, WWII rubs off retrospectively on WWI in the minds of many people.

Germany really didn't want to get into WWI. Yes, they did antagonize the British by building up the navy, but they did this in response to the threat of Royal Navy blockade. The Germans only really got involved in WWI because Serbia refused to hand over the Black Hand members to Austria-Hungary. A-H did not like that and declared war. Serbia appealed to Russia for help. Russia declared war on A-H. A-H appealed to their ally, Germany, and Germany had to declare war on Russia. France and the UK, both allies of Russia, had to declare war on Germany. Italy, who had territorial disputes with A-H declared war on A-H (the failure of the UK and France to give Italy the territory they wanted is what caused Italy to join the Axis in WWII). The Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia. The Ottoman Empire had been on their deathbed for a century and A-H was not much better, so Germany, with the best military, provided the leadership and were blamed by a vengeful France for the start of the War.

The US has really been around since the late 1700s, Hawaii doesn't really have anything to do with when the US becomes a country.

Well if you think about it, because of reclaimed land, the Netherlands and Monaco both became a country just yesterday.

my two cents, but my history textbook said Germany was proclaimed by earlier Prussian emperor kaiser William I in 1861.

Italy was proclaimed a nation in 1861 but was unified in 1870s