Congress first overrode a presidential veto on this day in 1845. It addressed a law passed to rein in President John Tyler's authority to independently fund revenue-cutter ships (part of U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, a sort of Coast Guard predecessor) without Congress' approval.
For his time, Tyler was considered a pretty veto-happy president, issuing 10 total throughout his single term. This first override came in the last year of his presidency. It's clear that Congress took offense to the president's opposition to their authority over the nation's purse strings — only one senator opposed the motion, and the override won handily in the House of Representatives.
You can learn more about the controversial president's most historic actions at the website of the University of Virginia Miller Center.
