On February 28, 1869, Thomas Bickett, North Carolina’s World War I governor, was born in Monroe.
After studying law at UNC, Bickett settled in Louisburg and was elected to represent Franklin County in the state House in 1906. During his single term in the General Assembly, Bickett made his mark as the sponsor of the “Bickett Bill,” which set aside a half-million dollars to help care for the mentally ill.
On January 5, 1891, Gov. Daniel G. Fowle, two years into his term, moved into the state’s new Executive Mansion before construction was completely finished.
On January 1, 1996, North Carolina became the last state in the nation to grant its governor the veto power. The change met with the approval of voters the previous November when they overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment on the statewide ballot.