John Tyler Trivia

This week we pay tribute to the tenth president of the United States, John Tyler. He was a one-term president, serving from 1841 to 1845. He believed strongly in states’ rights, including on the matter of slavery. This made him popular in the South, but not so much to the country at large. Before we get to my hand-picked trivia about Tyler, I present my weekly logic puzzle.

Logic Puzzle

If five cats can catch five mice in five minutes, how long will it take 100 cats to catch 100 mice?

John Tyler Trivia

1. • First president to not be elected and rise to the presidency from the office of vice president after the death of the president. Some nicked named him “His Accidency.”
2. • During his presidency, his first wife, Letitia Christian, died. Later in his presidency, he remarried to his second wife, Julia Gardiner, who was 30 years younger than Tyler and 5 years younger than Tyler’s oldest daughter from his first marriage. The second marriage was the first to happen to a president while in office.
3. • First and one of four presidents to never have a vice president.
4. • He lost the support of his political party, the Whigs, so became known as the president without a Party.
5. • After his presidency he joined the Confederacy as a representative from Virginia.
6. • Only president to not have the US flag drape his coffin at his funeral. Rather, the Confederate flag was used. The federal government did not officially recognize his death for another 63 years.
7. • Holds the record among all presidents for fathering the most confirmed children at 15.
8. • One of Tyler’s grandchildren, Harrison Ruffin Tyler, lived until May 25, 2025, when he died at age 96.

 

Logic Puzzle Answer

Five minutes.

Logic Puzzle Solution

Recallthat:

Distance = rate * time. Let’s adapt it for catching mice as follows:

Mice caught = mice caught per minute per cat * number of cats * number of minutes.

We’re given that:

Mice caught = 5

Number of cats = 5

Minute of minutes = 5

So we have:

5 = mice caught per minute per cat * 5 * 5

Mice caught per minute per cat = 5/25 = 1/5.

Now that we know the rate, we can solve the question asked, which was “How long will it take 100 cats to catch 100 mice?” Recall the formula is:

Mice caught = mice caught per minute per cat * number of cats * number of minutes.

Filling in what we know:

100 = 1/5 * 100 * number of minutes.

Number of minutes = 500/100 = 5.