William Rufus King
This celebrity goo was created by Scott Hardie.
publication date: Thursday, July 9, 2026 (part of July 2026)
category: 
Government
clue: He wasn't a statesman from Massachusetts. He was possibly America's first gay vice president, definitely America's first vice president sworn in on foreign soil, and probably America's first vice president to have both a county in Washington that was named after him and a city in Alabama that he named become far more associated with a civil rights icon with his last name. Who's the king?
explanation: King was the 13th vice president, elected on a ticket with president Franklin Pierce. He was sworn in on March 4, 1853 in Cuba, where he had gone to seek treatment for tuberculosis. He died on April 18, 1853 only two days after returning home to Selma, Alabama. His very close relationship with future president James Buchanan has been widely speculated to have been homosexual, although no conclusive proof survives. King County, Washington was named for him upon its founding (originally as part of Oregon) in 1852, but in 2005 it was retroactively renamed for Dr. Martin Luther King. King planned and named the Alabama city of Selma where he resided, but that town, too, became more associated with Martin Luther King during the 1960s civil rights movement. more…
intended difficulty: easy
solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Richard Slominsky, and Erik Bates
trivia: This goo was inspired by founding father Rufus King.
You're Not My Real Founding Fathers!: America loves its Founding Fathers, and the nation's 250th anniversary makes for a fine opportunity to celebrate them. But wait—who are these imitators? These are actors, and musicians, and authors, and athletes! Their John Hancocks are very similar, but these aren't the real Founding Fathers! Starting apropos on Father's Day, here are a whopping fifty goos to challenge your knowledge of patriotic trivia. Can you identify these fifty fake signatories to a Declaration of Independence that never was? With luck, you\ll hold these goos to be self-evident.Similar Goos
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