Presidential Trivia
George Washington
At the end of the American Revolution, the suggestion that General Washington become king circulated in the Army's upper ranks. Washington reacted strongly against the idea, saying, "no occurrence in the course of the War has given me more painful sensations." George Washington had to borrow money to go to his own inauguration. George Washington who commanded the Continental Army as a four-star general was promoted posthumously to the position of six-star "General of the Armies of Congress" by an order of Jimmy Carter, who felt America's first President should also be America's highest military official. When George Washington was elected President, there was a king in France, a czarina in Russia, an emperor in China, and a shogun in Japan. Only the office of President remains. Washington was the first President to appear on a postage stamp. Washington was one of two Presidents that signed the U.S. Constitution. George Washington was a half first cousin twice removed of James Madison, a second cousin seven times removed of Queen Elizabeth II, a third cousin twice removed of Robert E. Lee, and an eighth cousin six times removed of Winston Churchill. Washington was the only president elected unanimously, receiving all 69 of the electoral votes cast. At his inauguration, Washington had only one tooth. At various times he wore dentures made of human or animal teeth, ivory or lead -- never wood. Washington refused to wear a powdered wig, which was high fashion in the late 1700s. Instead, he powdered his red-brown hair and ties it in a short braid down his back. Washington carried a portable sundial. Washington's inauguration speech was 183 words long and took 90 seconds to read. This was because of his false teeth. The six white horses in Washington's stables had their teeth brushed every morning on Washington's orders. The nation's capital was located in Philadelphia during Washington's administration making him the only president who didn't live in Washington, D.C. during his presidency. Washington loved to help fight fires. Washington's favorite sports were fishing and fox hunting. George Washington was born on February 11, 1731. Over twenty years later, in 1752, Great Britain and its American colonies switched calendars from Julian to Gregorian. This switch eliminated eleven days from September of that year: September 2 was followed by September 14. At the same time, New Year's Day was changed from March 25 to January 1. Since then, historians have said that Washington was born in 1732, and the anniversary of his birth has been celebrated on February 22. Washington's face was scarred from smallpox. Washington was the first man in American history to be a Lieutenant General. Washington was the only president to die in the 1700s. George Washington had two ice cream freezers installed at his home in Mount Vernon. George Washington left no direct descendant. Though his wife Martha had four children by a previous marriage., Washington never sired a child to continue his line. Washington once issued an order that forbade swearing throughout the U.S. Army. Washington wore size thirteen boots. Lots of things happened to Washington on Fridays. It was on a Friday that he: was born was commissioned lieutenant colonel in the military took command of the Army of Virginai was elected Commander-in-Chief established the US Marine Corps fought the Battle of Princeton won the Battle of Yorktown was elected President of the Constitutional Convention created the War Department appointed his first cabinet officer, Alexander Hamilton established the Federal seat of government proclaimed Thanksgiving laid the cornerstone of the White House completed his last presidential term accepted his second commission as Commander-in-Chief He would often get his "e's" and "i's" mixed up, he would spell words like blue as blew, and oil as oyl. Washington's IQ was estimated to be about 125. He was a very loud snorer.John Adams
Adams was the first Preisdent to live in the White House. Adams was one of two Presidents to sign the Declaration of Independence. John Adams was a second cousin to Samuel Adams, and a third cousin to his own wife, Abigail Smith Adams. Adams was one of two presidents to live beyond his 90th birthday. Adams was one of three presidents not to attend the inauguration of his successor. Not only was Adams disappointed in losing to Jefferson, he was also grieving the death of his son Charles. Adams was the great-great-grandson of John and Priscilla Alden, Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. The Adams' were the first residents of the White House. They moved in in November 1800 while the paint was still wet. When Adams and his family moved to Washington to live in the White House, they got lost in the woods north of the city for several hours. Mrs. Adams would hang her laundry in the East Room to dry. He was named after his father.Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson was the first President to shake hands instead of bow to people. Thomas Jefferson was the first President to have a grandchild born in the White House. Jefferson was one of two Presidents who signed the Declaration of Independence. When he was sworn in as President, he returned to his boarding house for dinner. Every seat was taken, and no one stood to offer him a seat. After awhile, the wife of a Kentucky senator offered him her seat. Jefferson politely declined. Jefferson City, Missouri is named after Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a second cousin once removed of John Marshall. Jefferson's library of approximately 6,000 books became the basis of the Library of Congress. His books were purchased from him for $23,950. Jefferson kept a mockingbird named Dick in the White House study, and let the bird ride on his shoulder whenever possible. President Jefferson even trained Dick to take bits of food that he held between his lips at meals! When Jefferson went upstairs, his faithful companion would hop up after him, step after step, never far from his side. Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. Bears brought back from Lewis and Clark's famous expedition were displayed in cages on the White House lawn. For years the White House was sometimes referred to as the "president's bear garden." Jefferson wrote his own epitaph without mentioning that he served as president of the United States. Thomas Jefferson was once given a 1,235 pound hunk of cheese, giving us the term "the big cheese." When Thomas Jefferson became President, in 1801, 20 percent of all people in the U.S. were slaves. (There were 5 million people in all.) Jefferson played the violin. He suggested the decimal system of money we use. He wrote over 20,000 letters in his lifetime. Jefferson founded, designed and built the University of Virginia. He took a cold foot bath every morning for 60 years. Jefferson once ate a tomato in public to prove it wasn't poisonous. Jefferson owned 200 slaves. Among the vegetables in Thomas Jefferson's garden was the English pea, considered to be his favorite. He grew fifteen types of the English pea, and his frequent jottings on the vegetable in his Garden Book suggest that he paid particular attention to it, happily noting when 'peas come to table.' By staggering the planting of peas, Jefferson was able to eat them fresh from the garden from the middle of May to the middle of July.James Madison
Madison was our smallest President, weighing 100 pounds, and standing 5 feet and 4 inches tall. Madison was the first President to wear trousers instead of knee breeches. James Madison was one of two Presidents to sign the U.S. Constitution. Madison, Wisconsin is named after James Madison. Madison was a half first cousin twice removed of George Washington and a second cousin of Zachary Taylor. During the War of 1812 Madison was under enemy fire. He was the first president to be in that situation. Madison was younger than both of his vice presidents, and both of his vice presidents died while they were in office. When he was dying, Madison was offered drugs so that he might live to Independence Day and die then. He refused and died on June 28, 1836. Madison's inaugural jacket was woven from the wool of sheep raised at his home in Virginia. Madison was diagnosed as epileptic. Madison was the first U.S. congressman to become president.James Monroe
James Monroe (1817-25), the fifth President, received every Electoral College vote except one. The holdout: a New Hampshire delegate who wanted to preserve the legacy of George Washington, the first and only President elected unanimously by the Electoral College. The capital of Liberia is Monrovia, named after James Monroe. Monroe's daughter, Maria Monroe, was the first person ever to be married in the White House. Monroe's inauguration in 1817 was the first to be held outdoors. Monroe was the first president to ride on a steamboat. Monroe was the only president to serve in two different cabinet posts. He was secretary of state and war. James Monroe was the first president to tour the country. No one ran against Monroe when he ran for his second term in 1820. Monroe was the first U.S. senator to be elected president. Monroe was wounded during the Revolutionary War. Monroe's favorite foods were chicken, breads, and biscuits.John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams (1825-29), the sixth President, customarily took a nude early morning swim in the Potomac River. He refused requests to be interviewed by a woman reporter, which he thought was beneath the office of President. She got him to talk to her by sitting on his clothes and refusing to budge until he did. Source:http://www.lewrockwell.com/bonner/bonner114.html His wife, Louisa Catherine Johnson, was the only foreign first lady. John Quincy Adams was a second cousin once removed of Samuel Adams and a third cousin once removed to his own mother, Abigail Smith Adams. John Quincy Adams was the only president to be elected to the House of Representatives after serving as President. Adams argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of slaves from the ship Amistad who mutinied during their journey from Africa. John Quincy Adams owned a pet alligator which he kept in the East Room of the White House. Adams had the first pool table installed in the White House. John Quincy Adams was the only president to name a son George Washington. Adams was the first president to be photographed. John Quincy Adams's favorite foods were corn and fresh fruits. He kept silkworms as pets. He was named after his great-grandfather John Quincy, Speaker of the Massachusetts Assembly, member of the Governer's council, and militia officer.Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the first president to be handed a baby to kiss. However, he declined the invitation and passed the infant to his Secretary of War, John Eaton, to do the honors. Source:Scott Clarkson Jackson believed that the earth was flat. Jackson was the only President to pay off the national debt. Jackson was the first President to ride in a train. On January 30, 1835, a mentally disturbed man named Richard Lawrence fired two different guns at Jackson from point-blank range. Both weapons failed to fire. The odds of this happeneing were put at 1:125,000. Jackson then chased after Lawrence and beat him with his cane. Jackson, Mississippi is named after Andrew Jackson. At his funeral in 1845, his pet parrot had to be removed because it was swearing! Jackson was the only President to have been held as a prisoner of war. This was during the Revolutionary War. Jackson was only 13 years old. In 1806 Jackson had a duel with Charles Dickinson over some things that he said about Jackson's wife. Dickinson got the first shot, and hit Jackson directly in the chest, about two inches from his heart. Jackson didn't even fall down! Instead, he raised his gun and killed Dickinson! He then walked away. The bullet had lodged to close to his heart to be removed, so he carried it there for the rest of his life. Andrew Jackson was orphaned at the age of 14. Jackson was the first president born in a log cabin. He was the only president to serve in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Andrew Jackson's favorite foods were wild turkey, partridge, venison, cheese, blackberries, and milk. Jackson owned five horses: Same Peaches, Emily, Lady Nashville, Bolivia, and Truxton (a champion race horse) as well as other ponies.Martin Van Buren
The first President born a U.S. citizen was Martin Van Buren (1837-41). Van Buren was delivered on December 5, 1782, making him the first President born after the Declaration of Independence was signed. The term "It's O.K." came from Van Buren, who grew up in Kinderhook, New York. After he went into politics, he became known by the nickname "Old Kinderhook." Soon people were saying "Is it OK?" reffering to Van Buren, and the word okay was derived. Van Buren was the only incumbent President to run for re-election without a vice-presidential running-mate. Van Buren was a third cousin twice removed to Theodore Roosevelt. Van Buren made three unsuccessful bids for reelection. His autobiography does not mention his wife once. Van Buren took $100,000, the sum of his salary as president over four years, in a lump sum at the end of his term. The only president of Dutch ancestry, Van Buren and his wife spoke Dutch at home. Martin Van Buren's favorite foods were oysters, doughnuts, raisins, figs, and apples. Van Buren owned two tiger cubs as pets. Van Buren's favorite sport was riding horses. He was named after his grandfather, Martin Van Buren. When he was Vice President, he presided over the Senate with loaded pistols!William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the first president to die in office, about 32 days after he was elected. Boxer Jack Dempsey was named after President William Henry Harrison. His full name was William Harrison Dempsey. Harrison was the first President to study medicine. When Harrison was elected President in 1840, the Indian leader Tecumseh placed a curse on him, saying that every president elected in a year that ends with a 0 will die while in office. Harrison died while in office, as did Lincoln, elected in 1860, Garfield, elected in 1880, Mckinley, elected in 1900, Harding, elected in 1920, Roosevelt, elected in 1940, and Kennedy, elected in 1960. Reagan, elected in 1980, broke the curse, but was almost assassinated while in office. Harrison was one of two presidents to have double letters in his first and last names. He was the only President to have been born in the same county as his Vice President, Charles City County. Harrison had a pet goat named "His Whiskers." Harrison was the first president to recieve over one million popular votes.John Tyler
Tyler was playing marbles when he learned that he was to be President. Tyler was the first President to have a veto overridden. John Tyler was the President to have the most children. He had 15. He made the most cabinet changes of any single-term President. John Tyler joined the Confederacy twenty years after he was in office and became the only President named a sworn enemy of the United States. Tyler didn't make an Inaugural Address. Tyler was a great-uncle of Harry S Truman. Five years after leaving office, Tyler was so poor he was unable to pay a bill for $1.25 until he had sold his corn crop. He had a horse named "General," a pet canary named "Johnny Ty," and an Itialian greyhound named "Le Beau." Tyler's second wife initiated the practice of playing "Hail to the Chief" whenever a president appears in public. He was named after his father.James K. Polk
Polk was the only president who was also the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Polk was the first President to have his inauguration reported by telegraph. Polk was the first president to voluntarily retire after one term. Polk survived a gallstone operation at age 17 without anethesia or antiseptics. He spent only 37 days away from his desk during his four years as president He was named after his grandfather, James Knox, a militia captain during the American Revolution. During his term, gaslights were first installed in the White House.Zackary Taylor
When Taylor was inaugurated in March 1849, he would not take the Oath of Office on a Sunday. The offices of President and Vice President were vacant at the time, so someone had to be the president, but who? David Rice Atchison, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, was sworn in as president. He did not do much, when asked, he said, "I went to bed. There had been two or three busy nights finishing up the work of the Senate, and I slept most of that Sunday." Taylor was a second cousin of James Madison, a fourth cousin once removed of Robert E. Lee, and a fourth cousin three times removed of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Taylor's body was recently exhumed because some thought that his death was caused by murder instead of natural causes. Taylor spent July 4, 1850, eating cherries and milk at a ceremony at the Washington Monument. He got sick from the heat and died five days later, the second president to die in office. Taylor, the 12th president of the U.S. didn't vote until he was 62 years old and didn't even vote in his own election because he was a soldier & moved so often he couldn't establish legal residency until he retired. Taylor refused all postage due correspondences. Because of this, he didn't receive notification of his nomination for president until several days later. Taylor kept his old warhorse named Whitney on the White House lawn. People would pluck hairs from it for souveniers. Taylor chewed tobacco and was famous for never missing a spottoon when he spat. Taylor never held a political office before he was president. Taylor's daughter, Sarah Knox Taylor, married Jefferson Davis. Taylor said, "I’ll be damned if another daughter of mine will marry into the army!" Taylor rode his horse sidesaddle whenever he went into battle. Abraham Lincoln gave the eulogy at his funeral. He was named after his grandfather.Millard Fillmore
Fillmore established the first permanent library in the White House. Fillmore didn't make an Inaugural Address. Fillmore refused an honorary degree of Doctor of Civil Law from Oxford. He said, "No man should accept a degree that he can not read." Fillmore was the first president to have a stepmother. Fillmore's wife had the first "running-water bathtub" installed in the White House. Fillmore was the last president born in the 18th century.Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the first President to have a Christmas tree in the White House. Franklin Pierce is the only President to have said "I promise" instead of "I swear" at his Inauguration. Pierce died of cirrhosis of the liver as a result of years of heavy drinking. Pierce was arrested while in office for running over an old woman with his horse, but his case was dropped due to insufficient evidence in 1853. One of the Democratic party's slogans during Pierce's campaign for president was: "We Polked you in 1844; we shall Pierce you in 1852." Pierce installed the first central-heating system in the White House. Pierce always insisted that grace be said before a meal. During his second year at Bowdoin College in Maine, Pierce had the lowest grades out of anyone in his class. He changed his study habits, and graduated third in his class. Among his class mates were Nathaniel Hawthorne and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Pierce was wounded during the Mexican War. Pierce was an avid fisherman. He defeated his old commanding officer from the Mexican War, Winfield Scott, when he was elected president. Pierce was the first president born in the 19th century.James Buchanan
JAMES BUCHANAN was the only president never to marry. Buchanan had the opportunity to buy Cuba for only $90,000,000, but Congress wouldn't let him because they thought he would steal the money and run away! He is said to have the neatest handwriting of all the presidents. When England's Prince of Wales came to visit the White House in 1860, so many guests came with him, so Buchanan had to sleep in the halls! Buchanan was farsighted in one eye and nearsighted in the other. His left eye also sat higher in its socket than his right. He tipped his head to the left and closed one eye when talking to people. He sent a note to newly elected Abe Lincoln saying, "My dear sir, If you are as happy on entering the White House as I on leaving, you are a happy man indeed." James Buchanan was the first president to send a transatlantic telegram. He was named after his father.Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln was seeing the play "Our American Cousin" when he was shot. Lincoln was the first president to have a beard while in office. Lincoln, Nebraska was named after Abraham Lincoln. Abe Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died when the family dairy cow ate poisonous mushrooms and she drank the milk. A plot was developed to steal Lincoln's body, so a secret society to guard his tomb was formed. During the Civil War, telegraph wires were strung to follow the action on the battlefield. But there was no telegraph office in the White House, so Lincoln went across the street to the War Department to get the news. Lincoln was the tallest president. He was 6 feet and four inches tall. Lincoln once had a dream right before the fall of Richmond that he would die. He dreamt that he was in the White House, he heard crying and when he found the room it was coming from he asked who had died. The man said the President. He looked in the coffin and saw his own face. A week later Lincoln died. Lincoln was shot on Good Friday. Robert Todd Lincoln arrived too late to stop three seperate presidential assassinations. He met his father, President Abraham Lincoln, at the theatre after John Wilkes Booth had fired the shot. He went to a Washington train station to meet President Garfeild, arriving only minutes after he was shot. And, he traveled to Buffalo, New York to meet President Mckinly, but got there after the fatal shot had already been fired. Lincoln had a cat named "Bob," a turkey named "Jack," and a dog named "Jib." He was the first president to be photographed at his inauguration. John Wilkes Booth (his assassin) can be seen standing close to Lincoln in the picture. Lincoln was the only president to receive a patent, for a device for lifting boats over shoals. Lincoln's brother, half-brothers, and brothers-in-law fought in the Confederate Army. Abraham Lincoln was shot while watching a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. The same play was also running at the McVerick Theatre in Chicago on May 18, 1860, the day Lincoln was nominated for president in that city. Lincoln's favorite sport was wrestling. Lincoln worked as a deck hand on a Mississippi flatboat. Lincoln had a substitute fight for him during the Civil War. Not a paid substitute as some might think. When J. Summerfield Staples, the son of an army chaplain, heard that Lincoln felt that the president should be fighting in the war (but couldn't because of all his duties), Staples volunteered to fight as a substitute. Both he and his father survived through the war, and returned home to Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. If one traveled to the cemetary there, they would find a headstone that reads: J. Summerfield Staples A private of Co. C176 Reg. P.V. Also a member of the 2, Reg. D.C. Vol. A substitute for Abraham Lincoln died Jan. 11, 1888 Aged 43 yrs,-4 mos. & 27 days Lincoln had a wart on his right cheek, a scar on his thumb from an ax accident, and a scar over his right eye from a fight with a gang of thieves. Abraham Lincoln grew his beard out of the suggestion of an 11 year old girl. John Wilkes Booth's brother once saved Abraham Lincoln's son's life. Abe Lincoln is the U.S. president most frequently portrayed in films. The contents of his pockets on the night of his assassination weren't revealed until February 12, 1976. They contained two pairs of spectacles, a chamois lens cleaner, an ivory and silver pocketknife, a large white Irish linen handkerchief, slightly used, with "A. Lincoln" embroidered in red, a gold quartz watch fob without a watch, a new silk-lined, leather wallet containing a pencil, a Confederate five-dollar bill, and news clippings of unrest in the Confederate army, emancipation in Missouri, the Union party platform of 1864, and an article on the presidency by John Bright. He was named after his grandfather. Lincoln and his wife held seances in the White House. They had great interest in psychic phenomena. Lincoln loved the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be born outside of the original thirteen colonies. He was born in Kentucky.Andrew Johnson
He was the only president elected to U.S. Senate after his presidential term. Andrew Johnson was a self-educated tailor. He is the only President who made his own clothes as well as his cabinet's. He didn't make an inaugural address. His wife was only 16 years old when they were married. He was the first president to be visited by a queen. Queen Emma of the Sandwich Islands came to America on August 14, 1866. Johnson was buried beneath a willow he had planted himself with a shoot taken from a tree at Napolean's tomb. His head was rested on a copy of the Constitution. He was either named after Andrew Jackson, or one of his uncles.Ulysses S. Grant
Grant was one of three presidents to graduate from a military academy: West Point. He finished his memoirs only a few weeks before his death from cancer. The book brought in $500,000 for his family after his death. While president, Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for driving his horse too fast. He was fined $20. His real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. He changed it because he didn't want to enter West Point with the initials H.U.G. Grant was a fourth cousin once removed of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a sixth cousin once removed of Grover Cleveland, and a first cousin three times removed to Judy Garland. Grant ate a cucumber soaked in vinegar for breakfast each day. Grant was the first president to have both parents alive when he took office. Witness to some of the bloodiest battles in history, Grant could not stomach the sight of animal blood -- rare steak nauseated him. Grant used around seven to ten cigars a day. Of this 7-10, he often did not smoke them at all. A reporter wrote that Grant liked cigars, and people started to send him cigars. He received over 20,000. Ten years after he was president, Grant was stricken with throat cancer. He regularly swabbed his throat with cocaine, becoming addicted to it. Grant once said that he knew only two songs, "One was Yankee Doodle, and the other wasn't." Grant was the second man in American history to be a Lieutenant General. Ulysses S. Grant had the boyhood nickname 'Useless'. His original name was Hiram Ulysses Grant. He was named Hiram after his grandfather, and Ulysses after the hero in Greek mythology.Rutherford B. Hayes
Hayes was the first President to use a telephone while in office. The first telephone was installed in the White House in 1879. Of the five presidents who served in the Civil War, Hayes was the only one to be wounded. He won the presidency by only one electorial vote. Hayes was the first president to visit the West Coast while in office. His wife, Lucy Hayes, banned alcohol, smoking, dancing, and card playing from the White House. Hayes and his wife conducted the first Easter egg roll on the White House lawn. He was named after his father, Rutherford Hayes, and his mother, Sophia Birchard. Hayes never knew his father, who died a few months before he was born.James A. Garfield
His mother attended his inauguration. James Garfield could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other. A book published in 1940 contained 370 proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem, including one by Garfield. Garfield was the second president shot in office. Doctors tried to find the bullet with a metal detector invented by Alexander Graham Bell. But the device failed because Garfield was placed on a bed with metal springs, and no one thought to move him. He died on September 19, 1881. Garfield was our first left-handed president. He was the first president to campaign in more than one language. Garfield was the last of seven presidents to be born in a log cabin. Garfield juggled clubs to build his muscles. He was named after his older brother James, who died in infancy, and his father, Abram Garfield. Garfield was the only president to have been a preacher.Chester A. Arthur
Arthur sold twenty-six wagons full of White House furniture for about eight thousand dollars. What he did not know was that the furniture was priceless. Arthur changed his pants several times a day. He had over 80 pairs! He didn't make an Inaugural Address. His favorite food was mutton chops. Arthur was the first president to take the Oath of Office in his own home. Arthur's citizenship was questioned when political opponents alledged that he was born across the Vermont border in Canada. Arthur denied this and continued on with his term. Arthur destroyed all of his personal papers before his death. He often took his friends on late night walks around Washington D.C. as early as three or four in the morning. He seldom went to bed before two o'clock. Arthur was a skilled fisherman. He belonged to the Restigouche Salmon Club, a group of New York anglers who fished in Canada. He was named after Dr. Chester Abell, the physician who delivered him, and his grandfather, Alan Arthur.Grover Cleveland
Cleveland was elected for two nonconsecutive terms and is counted twice, as our 22nd and 24th president. Cleveland was the first executive movie star. In 1895, Alexander Black came to Washington and asked Cleveland to appear in "A Capital Courtship", his photoplay. He agreed to be filmed while signing a bill into law. "A Captial Courtship" was a big hit on the Lyceum Circuit. Cleveland was the only president to be married in the White House and was the first to have a child born there. The Baby Ruth candy bar was named after Cleveland's baby daughter, Ruth. He acted as executioner while sheriff of Erie County, New York. He personally pulled the hanging trap on two convicted murderers. He and the first lady would shake hands with as many as 8,000 callers at a New Year's Day reception. Crowds entered through the doors and the East Room windows! Cleveland used his veto powers 584 times during his two terms. This is the highest total of any president except Franklin Roosevelt, who served three terms. Grover Cleveland went sailing during July 1893 for what people thought was a fishing trip, but he was really having surgery for a strange growth in his mouth. The operation was kept so secret that nobody found out about it until 1917! Cleveland answered the White House phone, personally. "Death and Destruction" was the name that Grover C leveland gave to his favorite hunting rifle.Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison (1889-93), the 23nd President, was the first President to attend a baseball game. He saw the Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Senators 7 to 4 on June 6, 1892. Harrison is the grandson of William Henry Harrison. He was the first president to use electricity in the White House. After he got an electrical shock, his family often refused to touch the light switches. Sometimes they would go to bed leaving all the White House lights on! When North and South Dakota were admitted to the Union, Harrison covered the tops of the bills and shuffled them so that he could only see the bottom. He signed them and we will never know which state was the 39th or the 40th! He was known as the "Human Iceberg" because he was stiff and formal when dealing with people. Harrison once made 140 completely different speeches in 30 days. The wearing of kid gloves to protect his hands from skin infection earned him the nickname of "Kid Gloves" Harrison. He was named after his uncle, Dr. Benjamin Harrison, and his great-grandfather Benjamin Harrison, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.William Mckinley
McKinley was the first President to ride in an automobile. He rode in an electric ambulance to the hospial after he was shot. After being shot, he saw the shooter being beaten to the ground, he then cried, "Don't let them hurt him!" McKinley was the first president to campaign by telephone. His wife, Ida, couldn't stand the color yellow. She banned all yellow things from the White House, and even ordered all the yellow flowers in the garden to be uprooted! McKinley always wore a red carnation in his lapel for good luck. McKinley's commanding officer in the Civil War was Rutherford B. Hayes. He was the only clean shaven president between Andrew Johnson and Woodrow Wilson. He moved to Poland, Ohio when he was young. He often joked that he was the only president from Poland. As a boy, McKinley almost drowned in Mosquito Creek in Niles, Ohio. McKinley's favorite plays were those by Shakespeare, and Rip Van Winkle. He was named after his father. McKinley kept a parrot in the White House that could whistle "Yankee Doodle." McKinley would whistle the first part, and the bird would finish it.Teddy Roosevelt
Roosevelt wanted the motto "In God We Trust" removed from the new $20 gold coin designed in 1907. Roosevelt felt it was blasphemous to use the Lord's name on coins that were so often used to buy "worldly" goods and services. After a huge public outcry, Congress passed a law requiring "In God We Trust" be returned to all United States coinage at once. He was the first President to ride in an airplane. He flew for four minutes in a plane built by the Wright Brothers on October 11, 1910. Theodore Roosevelt was our youngest president. He was younger than Kennedy at the time that McKinley was shot and he was inaugurated. In 1912, Roosevelt took a drink of coffee and exclaimed, "That coffee tastes good, even to the last drop!" Maxwell House got their motto from this. Roosevelt was the first president to leave the continental U.S. while in office. He went to Panama in 1906. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for his role of peacemaker in the Russo-Japanese War. He was the first American to ever win the award. Theodore Roosevelt was shot on October 14, 1912 just before giving a speech during his run as "Bull Moose" candidate. Even though the bullet entered his lung, he still gave the speech! Roosevelt's first wife and mother died on the same day, February 14, 1884. He wore a ring containing a lock of Abe Lincoln's hair to his inauguration. The teddy bear is named after Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy Roosevelt was a third cousin twice removed of Martin Van Buren, a fifth cousin of Franklin D. Roosevelt, an uncle of Eleanor Roosevelt, and a great-uncle of Joseph and Stuart Alsop. Roosevelt was blind in his left eye. He lost his eyesight when he was boxing. His favorite word was "bully" meaning great. Roosevelt had a photographic memory. He could read a page in the time it took anyone else to read a sentence. He was the first president to be popularly reffered to by his initials, TR. He was named after his father.William Taft
Nine years after leaving the presidency, Taft was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court. So pleased was he with this career change that he later wrote, "I don't remember that I was ever president." Taft was the first president to throw the first baseball of a season. He was the first president to own a car. He had the stables converted into a four-car garage. Taft was the last president to have facial hair. His funeral was the first to be broadcast on the radio. He once got stuck in the White House bath tub, so a new one was installed, big enough to hold four grown men! Taft was tone deaf. Taft needed to be nudged when anyone was playing the national anthem because he was tone deaf. Taft kept a cow on the White House lawn to supply him with fresh milk. He was the last president to do so.Woodrow Wilson
A flock of sheep grazed during Woodrow Wilson's term. Their wool was sold to raise money for the Red Cross during World War I. In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson’s teenage daughters, Nell and Margaret, were in a play and had to dress up in costumes as birds with wings and feathers. After the performance, they began to walk home with other cast members and passed a hall where a dance was being held. They all went in and quickly “flew” around the people three times and then ran out as the entire group was left in astonishment. Source:Scott Clarkson Wilson was the first president to hold a press conference. Famous folk artist Woody Guthrie was named after Woodrow Wilson. His full name is Woodrow Wilson Guthrie. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1920 for his efforts in seeking peace after World War I and supporting the League of Nations. Wilson detonated the final explosives to clear the Panama Canal. He sent the signal all the way from New York! Wilson was the first president to have earned a Ph.D. He was the first president to cross the Atlantic Ocean while in office. Woodrow Wilson had a sheep named "Old Ike" that chewed tobacco and grazed on the lawn of the White House. His wife, Edith Wilson, was his connection with the outside world after he suffered a stroke which paralyzed his left side. She is considered the most powerful first lady there ever was. An avid golfer, Wilson used black golf balls when playing in the snow. His second wife, Edith, was a great-grandaughter of Pocahontas, seven times removed Wilson couldn't read until he was 9 years old. Wilson was the second president to personally address Congress. (the first being Washington) In 1895 he suffered a retinal hemorrhage which left him blind in his right eye. Wilson is the only president buried in Washington D.C. (Taft and Kennedy are buried in Arlington, but it's in Virginia.) Wilson made up this limerick to describe himself: "For beauty I am not a star There are others more handsome by far But my face I don't mind it For I am behind it It's the people in front that I jar."Warren G. Harding
Harding was the first president to speak over the radio. He was the first president to visit Canada. He stopped in Vancouver on his way to Alaska. He was also the first president to visit Alaska. He suffered nervous breakdowns at the age of 24 and had to spend some time in a sanitarium. He had a pet canary named "Bob" and a dog named "Laddie Boy." Harding played poker at least twice a week. He once gambled away an entire set of White House china, dating back to Benjamin Harrison's time. His advisors were given the nickname of the "Poker Cabinet" because they all played poker together. Harding was the first president to ride to his inauguration in a car. Harding was the first president to have a radio. Both of Harding's parents were doctors. He was also the first newspaper publisher to be elected into the presidency. Warren G. Harding was the first president to have a public golf course named after him. His mother called him "Winnie." He was named after his great-uncle the Reverend Warren Gamaliel Bancroft, a Methodist chaplain at the Wisconsin State Prison. Out of all the presidents, Harding had the biggest feet. He wore size fourteen shoes.Calvin Coolidge
His Vice President, Charles Dawes, earned a Nobel Peace Prize. Coolidge's family spoke in sign language when they did not wish to be overheard. Calvin Coolidge, a man of few words, was so famous for saying so little that a White House dinner guest made a bet that she could get the president to say more than two words. She told the president of her wager. His reply: "You lose." Coolidge had an electronic horse installed in the White House which he rode almost every day. Calvin Coolidge was sworn into office by his own father, who was a justice of the peace, at 2:47 in the morning. Coolidge then went back to sleep. Coolidge had numerous dogs and cats, as well as a donkey named "Ebeneezer," a goose that had starred in a Broadway play, and a raccoon named "Rebecca." Coolidge was sometimes found walking around the White House with Rebecca on his shoulder. When governor of Massachusetts, Coolidge was once punched in the eye by the mayor of Boston. Coolidge's last will and testament, executed in December 1926, was just 23 words long: "Not unmindful of my son John, I give all my estate, both real and personal, to my wife, Grace Coolidge, in fee simple." He was named after his father. Coolidge refused to use the telephone while he was in office. He once said, "If you don't say anything, you won't be called on to repeat it." He also once said, "Four-fifths of all our troubles in this life would disappear if we would only sit down and keep still."Herbert Hoover
Hoover was the first president to have an asteroid named for him. His Secretary of State, Henry L. Stimson won a Nobel Peace prize. The Hoovers spoke in Chinese when they didn't want to be heard. Herbert Hoover was one of two presidents to live past his 90th birthday. Hoover had never held an elected office prior to becoming president. The Hoovers held many parties at the White House. As many as 4,000 invitations would be loaded on a truck and hand delivered around Washington. Herbert Hoover was an eighth cousin once removed of Richard Nixon. Hoover worked in Australia at the turn of the 20th century as a mining engineer. Hoover was the first president born west of the Mississippi River. Hoover approved "The Star-Spangled Banner" as the national anthem. Hoover was the first president to donate his salary to charity. During their first three years in the White House, the Hoovers dined alone only three times, each time on their wedding anniversary. He was the youngest member of Stanford University's first graduating class. One of the most honored presidents, Hoover received 84 honorary degrees, 78 medals and awards, and the keys to dozens of cities. During Prohibition Hoover would visit the Belgian Embassy in Washington D.C. for drinks. It was considered foreign soil, so drinking was legal there. From his youth he was known as Bert to friendsFranklin Roosevelt
In 1943 Franklin Roosevelt made the first Presidential flight. As a boy, Roosevelt visited president Grover Cleveland and Cleveland told him never to become the president. Roosevelt was the first president to appear on television. There was an assassination attempt on Roosevelt in February, 1933. Roosevelt was unharmed, but Anton Cermak, mayor of Chicago, was killed. Franklin D. Roosevelt was in office longer than any other president. He served three consecutive terms and died during his fourth. His Secretary of State, Cordell Hull won a Nobel Peace Prize. He was the first president to have a presidential aircraft. Franklin D. Roosevelt was a fifth cousin once removed of his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt, and a seventh cousin once removed of Winston Churchill. Roosevelt's favorite food was fried cornmeal mush. He was the first president whose mother was eligible to vote for him. Roosevelt had a dog named "Fala" who was with him all the time. He also had a German sheperd named "Major" that was famous for biting several politicians. Roosevelt was related by either blood or marriage to eleven other Presidents: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Ulysses Grant, William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison, James Madison, Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, Zachary Taylor, Martin Van Buren and George Washington. Franklin D. Roosevelt's favorite sport was swimming. Roosevelt's birthday is a legal holiday in the Virgin Islands. Half a century ago, the American destroyer USS William D. Porter accidentally fired a live torpedo at the battleship USS Iowa during a practice exercise on Nov.14, 1943. As if this weren't bad enough, the Iowa was carrying President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Secretary of State Cordell Hull and all of the country's World War II military brass to 'the big three' conferences in Cairo and Teheran. Roosevelt was to meet with Stalin of the Soviet Union and Churchill of Great Britain, and had the W.D. Porter sucessfully launched torpedo struck the Iowa at the aiming point, the last 50 years of world history might have been quite different. Fortunately, the W.D. Porter's warning allowed the Iowa to evade the speeding torpedo which exploded in the wake of the Iowa, and historic events carried on as we know them. He was named after a great-uncle, Franklin Hughes Delano.Harry S.Truman
President Harry Truman was often fond of a glass of bourbon. His favorite brand was I.W. Harper. His wife, Bess, never knew that he kept a hidden stash of it in his personal bathroom. Source:Scott Clarkson Harry S Truman was playing Poker when he learned he was to be president. He was the first president to travel underwater in a modern submarine. "Tell him to go to hell!" - Truman's first response to the messenger who told him that Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted him to be his running mate. Truman watched from a window as guards had a gunfight with two men trying to break in and kill him. One of the men was killed, the other was convicted of several crimes and sentenced to death, Truman changed the sentence to life in prison. Jimmy Carter freed the man in 1979. His Secretary of State won a Nobel Peace Prize. Truman loved to play the piano. In 1948, a piano leg went through the floor of the White House! Harry S Truman was a great-nephew of John Tyler. He was the first president to give a speech on television. Truman was the first president to be paid a salary of $100,000. Truman was left handed, but his parents made him write with his right hand. He was a Captain in the field artillery in World War I. Truman popularized the saying, "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen." Truman was named one of the 10 best-dressed senators. Truman once said, "No man should be allowed to be president who doesn't understand hogs." Harry S Truman was the first president to take office during wartime.Dwight Eisenhower
President Dwight Eisenhower’s dog, Heidi, once had an accident on an expensive White House carpet and was shipped away to the family’s home in Gettysburg. Once, the President got so lonely for her that a chauffeured limousine was sent to bring her back to him. Source:Scott Clarkson He switched his first and middle names around to avoid confusion between he and his father. Eisenhower was one of three presidents to graduate from a military academy. He went to West Point. He had a putting green installed on the White House lawn. Eisenhower was the first president of all 50 states. He was the first president to appear on color television. Eisenhower was superstitious. He carried three coins with him for good luck: a silver dollar, a five-guinea gold piece, and a French franc. He was also a wonderful cook, who specialized in barbecued steaks. His favorite dessert was prune whip. Eisenhower was the first president licensed to pilot a plane. In their married life, the Eisenhowers moved 28 times before their retirement in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He was the only president to serve in both World Wars. He graduated from West Point sixty-fifth in a class of 165. He was named after his father. All six of the Eisenhower boys were at one time or another nicknamed Ike. He was responsible for putting 'under God' into the Pledge of Alliegence.John F. Kennedy
To help him relax, President Kennedy liked soft music to be played. He enjoyed it so much that the White House staff put stereo speakers under his bed. Source:Scott Clarkson Kennedy was the first President to hold a press conference on television. He was the first president to also be a Boy Scout. Kennedy was the first Roman Catholic president. He was the youngest man elected president, but not our youngest president, Teddy Roosevelt was younger at the time of his inauguration. Kennedy was the first president born in the 20th century. Kennedy won a Pulitzer Prize for his book "Profiles in Courage." Kennedy was the only president to appoint their brother to a cabinet post. Kennedy was a very fast random speaker, with upwards of 350 words per minute. Kennedy was the first president who had served in the U.S. Navy. Kennedy was called Jack by his friends.Lyndon Johnson
Always liking to show off a bit, President Lyndon Johnson once was at his ranch and wanted to prove his bravery to his guests. He went up to one of his male bulls and started teasing him. The Secret Service Agents got so scared that one ran and brought back a submachine gun. Source:Scott Clarkson Johnson was the only president to take the Oath of Office on an airplane from a woman. Lyndon B. Johnson was the youngest senate majority leader. Lyndon Johnson died one mile from the house he was born in. Johnson and his wife, "Lady Byrd", were married with a $2.50 wedding ring bought at Sears.Richard Nixon
Nixon was the first to address the Russians on Russian television. His Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, won a Nobel Peace Prize. He had the White House swimming pool filled in to give the press more room to stand when covering White House events. Nixon was a second cousin twice removed of Jessamyn West, a seventh cousin twice removed of William Howard Taft, and an eighth cousin once removed of Herbert Hoover. He was the first president to visit China while in office. Nixon suffered from motion sickness and hay fever. Nixon's mother wanted him to become a Quaker missionary; Nixon wanted to be an FBI agent. He parted his hair to the right to hide a large scar resulting from a childhood accident. Nixon's favorite sport was football. Before Super Bowl VI, Nixon called Miami Dolphins coach, Don Shula, to recommend a play. The play never did work. Nixon was the first president to visit all 50 states. Milhous was his mother's maiden name. He was our only president to resign from office. His letter of resignation was as follows: "Dear Mr. Secretary: I hearby resign the office of the President of the United States. Sincerely, Richard M. Nixon."Gerald R. Ford
He was renamed after his adoptive father, Gerald Rudolph Ford, Sr. Except in formal signature, he signs his name Jerry Ford. Gerald Ford had two attempts on his life in California during the month of September, 1975. Both attempts were by women. Ford was once a male model. He became Vice President and President without being elected to either office. Ford had another swimming pool dug after he became president because Richard Nixon had had it filled in. Ford was on the University of Michigan football team from 1931 to 1934. He was offered tryouts by both the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. In 1977 he had a hole-in-one at the Memphis Classic. He is right-handed, but he writes with his left hand. When Ford proposed to to his wife, he was wearing one brown & one black shoe Ford was the first President to have been an Eagle Scout. Ford's daughter Susan held her senior prom at the White House. Ford was the head boxing coach and assistant football coach at Yale University. Ford was one of the members of the Warren Commission appointed to study the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. He was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr. after his biological father. He was renamed after his adoptive fatherJimmy Carter
Carter was the first president to be born in a hospital. Carter was one of three presidents to attend a military academy. He went to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. Jimmy Carter is a speed reader. He has been recorded reading 2000 words per minute. Carter studied nuclear physics at Annapolis. His favorite foods are mixed nuts and peaches. Carter was the first president sworn in using his nickname, Jimmy. He was the first president to send his mother on a diplomatic mission. He was named after his father.Ronald Reagan
In 1848, a man named John Hinckley shot one of the last California Grizzly Bears near Ronald Reagan’s ranch. Ironically, a man named John Hinckley Jr. shot Reagan in 1981. Source:Scott Clarkson Reagan was the oldest president in history. He was 77 when he left office. Reagan was the only president who had been divorced. He was the only president to be wounded and survive an assassination attempt. Ronald Reagan married his first wife, Jane Wyman, at Forest Lawn Cemetary in Glendale, California. Reagan was the only president to be a head of a labor union. Ronald Reagan and his second wife Nancy Davis appeared opposite each other in the movie "Hellcats of the Navy." Conforming to the provisions of the 25th amendment to the constitution, Reagan transferred all presidential powers to Vice President George Bush while he underwent surgery for cancer. Reagan often took reporters' questions with his helicopter roaring in the background to avoid the press. When Ronald Reagan was President and he got his first hearing aid, the sale of hearing aids went up in the United States by 40%. Sales of jelly beans skyrocketed when Reagan told reporters that he liked them. Reagan saved 77 people when he worked as a lifeguard. He broke his thighbone in six different places when he slid into first base at a celebrity baseball game. Reagan's favorite sport was horseback riding. The 1990-91 edition of "Who's Who in America" contained 10 lines about former president Ronald Reagan. There were 28 lines devoted to his wife, Nancy. Ronald Reagan was the only president to have ever worn a NAZI uniform. (He wore it as an actor in a movie.) The only U.S. President born in 'The Land of Lincoln' (Illinois) was Ronald Reagan. He was born in Tampico. Shortly after being shot, Reagan jokingly said, "I forgot to duck." Wilson was his mother's maiden name. He was the first president to wear contact lenses.George Bush
Bush was the first president to publicly refuse to eat broccli. Broccli farmers got mad and began sending truckloads of broccli to the White House. His wife, Barbara, accepted the broccli, but Bush said, "I am President of the United States and I don't have to eat it. After telling the press he was an expert in hand gestures, George Bush gave the "V-for-Victory" sign as he drove in his armored limousine past demonstrators in Canberra, Australia's capital in January 1992. In Australia, holding up two fingers to form a "V" has the same vulgar meaning as the middle-finger gesture in the United States. The Aussie demonstrators were very mad, and they signaled in the same manner back at the U.S. President. Bush later apologized. Bush played first base for the Yale baseball team. Bush, distantly related to Benedict Arnold and Marilyn Monroe, is also related to Presidents Pierce, Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ford, and to Winston Churchill. When he received his commission in 1943, he became, at 19, the youngest pilot then in the Navy, flying 58 combat missions during World War II. With Bush, the first president born in June, presidents have been born in every month. He was named after his grandfather, George Herert Walker, an investment banker.William J. Clinton
Bill Clinton set a record for the most trips abroad: 133. Bill Clinton was the first president to have been a Rhodes Scholar. Bill Clinton plays the tenor and soprano saxophone. He played his saxophone during his campaign at many appearances. Bill Clinton is the first left-handed American president to serve two terms. Bill Clinton was a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity.George W. Bush
He succeeded his father as President, making him one of two Presidents to do so. Bush was one of two managing general partners of the Texas Rangers baseball club from 1989-1994. Bush was the only president selected by the Supreme Court. Bush was the first president to hold Little League baseball tryouts on the White House lawn. Bush has two dogs, Spot and Barney, and one cat, India. He flew an F-102 fighter plane in the Texas National Guard. Bush invented the word "strategery."State Of The Union
* President Washington delivered the first such address, his "annual message," on Jan. 8, 1790. * The third president, Thomas Jefferson, dropped the pomp that surrounded the early messages to Congress, denouncing them as speeches "from the throne." He dispatched his to lawmakers in writing, a custom that stuck for more than a century. * Woodrow Wilson revived the practice of delivering the annual message in person. "A president is likely to read his own message rather better than a clerk would," he said. * Calvin Coolidge's 1923 State of the Union was the first to be broadcast on radio, while Harry Truman's address in 1947 was the first to be televised. * In 1935 the annual message formally became known as the State of the Union address. * President Lyndon Johnson shifted the State of the Union speech from the afternoon to the evening to attract a larger TV audience. * The address was postponed for the first time in 1986 following the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. * President Clinton delivered his State of the Union address in 1998 just days after the scandal broke over his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The following year, his speech marked the first time a president addressed a Congress considering the possibility of removing him from office. * President Bush did not give a State of the Union address in 2001, soon after being sworn in. Neither did Clinton in 1993, but he delivered a 60-minute speech to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 17, 1993 that was considered a stand-in.Salary
George Washington's salary as president was $25,000. Bush's salary is $400,000.British subjects
EIGHT PRESIDENTS were born British subjects: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson, and W. Harrison.No College
NINE PRESIDENTS never attended college: Washington, Jackson, Van Buren, Taylor, Fillmore, Lincoln, A. Johnson, Cleveland, and Truman.College with Most Presidents
The college that has the most presidents as alumni (six in total) is Harvard: J. Adams, J. Q. Adams, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Kennedy, and G. W. Bush (business school). Yale is a close second, with five presidents as alumni: Taft, Ford (law school), G.H.W. Bush, Clinton (law school), and G. W. Bush.Washington Outsiders
PRESIDENTS WHO would be considered "Washington outsiders" (i.e., the 18 presidents who never served in Congress) are: Washington, J. Adams, Jefferson, Taylor, Grant, Arthur, Cleveland, T. Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, Hoover, F. Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and G. W. Bush.Religious Affilation
THE MOST COMMON religious affiliation among presidents has been Episcopalian, followed by Presbyterian.Ancestry
THE ANCESTRY of all 43 presidents is limited to the following seven heritages, or some combination thereof: Dutch, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, Swiss, or German.Age
THE OLDEST elected president was Reagan (age 69); the youngest was Kennedy (age 43). Theodore Roosevelt, however, was the youngest man to become president—he was 42 when he succeeded McKinley, who had been assassinated.Left Handed Presidents
James Garfield, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, George Bush, and Bill Clinton.Marbles
George Washington (1789-1797), Thomas Jefferson (1801-09), and John Adams (1797-1801) were all avid collectors and players of marbles.Size
THE TALLEST president was Lincoln at 6'4"; at 5'4", Madison was the shortest. Taft was our heaviest president, weighing 332 pounds.Served as Vice President
FOURTEEN PRESIDENTS served as vice presidents: J. Adams, Jefferson, Van Buren, Tyler, Fillmore, A. Johnson, Arthur, T. Roosevelt, Coolidge, Truman, Nixon, L. Johnson, Ford, and George H.W. Bush. VICE PRESIDENTS were originally the presidential candidates receiving the second-largest number of electoral votes. The Twelfth Amendment, passed in 1804, changed the system so that the electoral college voted separately for president and vice president. The presidential candidate, however, gradually gained power over the nominating convention to choose his own running mate.Solor Energy
Ronald Reagan had the solar collectors torn from the White House roof soon after he ousted Jimmy Carter, who had them installed to save engery costs at the White House and was the only American president to have admonished the nation to look in a mirror and see its wasteful ways. Source:http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/column/index.php? ntid=71875&ntpid=0Unelected
FOR TWO YEARS the nation was run by a president and a vice president who were not elected by the people. After Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned in 1973, President Nixon appointed Gerald Ford as vice president. Nixon resigned the following year, which left Ford as president, and Ford's appointed vice president, Nelson Rockefeller, as second in line.Lost Popular Vote
FOUR PRESIDENTS won the presidency but lost the popular vote: Andrew Jackson won the popular vote but lost the election to John Quincy Adams (1824); Samuel J. Tilden won the popular vote but lost the election to Rutherford B. Hayes (1876); Grover Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the election to Benjamin Harrison (1888); Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the election to George W. Bush (2000).First Lady
THE TERM "First Lady" was first used in 1877 in reference to Lucy Ware Webb Hayes. Most First Ladies, including Jackie Kennedy, are said to have hated the label.Remarried
Five presidents remarried after the death of their first wives. two of whom, Tyler and Wilson, remarried while in the White House. Reagan was the only divorced president.Children
Six presidents had no children. Tyler father of fifteen had the most.Assassinated
PRESIDENTS LINCOLN, Garfield, McKinley, and Kennedy were assassinated in office. ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS were made on the lives of Jackson, T. Roosevelt, F. Roosevelt, Truman, Ford, and Reagan.Died in Office
EIGHT PRESIDENTS died in office: W. Harrison (after having served only one month), Taylor, Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Harding, F. Roosevelt, and Kennedy4th of July
PRESIDENTS J. Adams, Jefferson, and Monroe all died on the 4th of July; Coolidge was born on that day.State with most Presidents
Virginia is the birthplace of the greatest number of Presidents. It boasts eight. Thirty-one states have never claimed a native son as President.Money
LINCOLN, JEFFERSON, F. Roosevelt, Washington, Kennedy, and Eisenhower are portrayed on U.S. coins. WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON, Lincoln, Jackson, Grant, McKinley, Cleveland, Madison, and Wilson are portrayed on U.S. paper currency.Who Were Related to Each Other?
John Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams. James Madison and Zachary Taylor were second cousins. William Henry Harrison was the grandfather of Benjamin Harrison. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a fifth cousin of Theodore Roosevelt. George W. Bush is the son of George Bush.Serve While No Past President Was Living.
Richard Nixon, Herbert Hoover, Ulysses S. Grant, and John Adams were the only presidents to serve while no past president was living.Presidential Vetoes
President G. H. W. Bush attempted to pocket veto two bills during intrasession recess periods. Congress considered the two bills enacted into law because of the president's failure to return the legislation. The bills are not counted as pocket vetoes in this table. Source: Office of the Clerk of the House. Web: http://clerk.house.gov .Before and after I Became President...
U.S. Presidents and Their States of Birth
George Washington (1789-97) Virginia John Adams (1797-1801) Massachusetts Thomas Jefferson (1801-09) Virginia James Madison (1809-17) Virginia James Monroe (1817-25) Virginia John Quincy Adams (1825-29) Massachusetts Andrew Jackson (1829-37) South Carolina Martin Van Buren (1837-41) New York William Henry Harrison (1841) Virginia John Tyler (1841-45) Virginia James K. Polk (1845-49) North Carolina Zachary Taylor (1849-50) Virginia Millard Fillmore (1850-53) New York Franklin Pierce (1853-57) New Hampshire James Buchanan (1857-61) Pennsylvania Abraham Lincoln (1861-65) Kentucky Andrew Johnson (1865-69) North Carolina Ulysses S. Grant (1869-77) Ohio Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-81) Ohio James A. Garfield (1881) Ohio Chester A. Arthur (1881-85) Vermont Grover Cleveland (1885-89) New Jersey Benjamin Harrison (1889-93) Ohio Grover Cleveland (1893-97) New Jersey William McKinley (1897-1901) Ohio Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) New York William H. Taft (1909-13) Ohio Woodrow Wilson (1913-21) Virginia Warren G. Harding (1921-23) Ohio Calvin Coolidge (1923-29) Vermont Herbert Hoover (1929-33) Iowa Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-45) New York Harry S. Truman (1945-53) Missouri Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-61) Texas John F. Kennedy (1961-63) Massachusetts Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-69) Texas Richard M. Nixon (1969-74) California Gerald R. Ford (1974-77) Nebraska Jimmy Carter (1977-81) Georgia Ronald Reagan (1981-89) Illinois George Bush (1989-93) Massachusetts William J. Clinton (1993-2001) Arkansas George W. Bush (2001-) ConnecticutBurial
Washington - Mt. Vernon, Va. J. Adams - Quincy, Mass. Jefferson - Charlottesville, Va. Madison - Montpelier Station, Va. Monroe - Richmond, Va. J. Q. Adams - Quincy, Mass. Jackson - The Hermitage, nr. Nashville, Tenn. Van Buren - Kinderhook, N.Y. W. H. Harrison - North Bend, Ohio Tyler - Richmond, Va. Polk - Nashville, Tenn. Taylor - Louisville, Ky. Fillmore - Buffalo, N.Y. Pierce - Concord, N.H. Buchanan - Lancaster, Pa. Lincoln - Springfield, Ill. A. Johnson - Greeneville, Tenn. Grant - New York City Hayes - Fremont, Ohio Garfield - Cleveland, Ohio Arthur - Albany, N.Y. Cleveland - Princeton, N.J. B. Harrison - Indianapolis, Ind. McKinley - Canton, Ohio T. Roosevelt - Oyster Bay, N.Y. Taft Arlington - National Cemetery Wilson - Washington National Cathedral Harding - Marion, Ohio Coolidge - Plymouth, Vt. Hoover - West Branch, Iowa F. D. Roosevelt - Hyde Park, N.Y. Truman - Independence, Mo. Eisenhower - Abilene, Kan. Kennedy - Arlington National Cemetery L. B. Johnson - Stonewall, Tex. Nixon - Yorba Linda, Calif. Reagan Ronald Reagan - Simi Valley, Calif Inaugural Addresses of the U.S. Presidents
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