Some miscellaneous Presidential trivia from many sources.
George Washington had no children of his own. He was the only President elected unanimously. He represented no political party. He did not attend college. He was one of two Presidents to sign the Declaration of Independence.
John Adams, the second US President, was the first to live in the White House. He and his family got lost as they traveled to DC during their move to the nation’s capital city.
Thomas Jefferson was the first President inaugurated in DC.
James Madison was the shortest President. At 5’-4”, he weighed 100 lbs. He was the first President to wear trousers instead of knee britches.
James Monroe was the first President who also served as a US Senator. He served as a cabinet member in a previous administration.
John Quincy Adams regularly skinny dipped in the Potomac river. A determined female journalist, after repeatedly being denied an interview with the President, stole Adams’ clothing while he swam nude one morning and held the clothing hostage until he granted an interview.
Andrew Jackson believed the earth was flat.
Martin Van Buren was the first President born in the United States in 1782.
William Harrison served 32 days as President before dying of pneumonia he contracted after delivering his inauguration speech. 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 zero 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.
John Tyler was the first President that was not elected to the office. He had 15 children. His wife started the tradition of playing “Hail to the Chief” whenever the President entered a room. Tyler joined the Confederacy and became the only President named as a sworn enemy of the US. Tyler was a great-uncle to Harry Truman.
James Polk was the only President to also serve as the Speaker of the House in the US Congress. Polk acquired California from Mexico.
Zachary Taylor did not vote until he was 62 years old. He was famous for chewing tobacco and never missing a spittoon. He was the second President to die in office. He died after becoming ill from eating a bowl of cherries and milk.
Millard Fillmore had the first bathtub with running water installed in the White House.
Franklin Pierce was the first President born in the nineteenth century. He gave his 3,319 word inauguration speech entirely from memory.
James Buchanan was never married. When the Prince of Wales visited in 1860, the Prince was accompanied by so many guests that the President slept in the hallway.
Abraham Lincoln was the tallest President at 6’-4”. He was the first President with a beard.
Andrew Johnson was the first President to be impeached by the US House of Representatives, but was acquitted by the Senate. He was elected to the US Senate after leaving the office of President.
Ulysses Grant established Yellowstone as the first national park. His real name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, but he changed it before enrolling at West Point because he did not want to have the initials, H.U.G. Grant said he knew two songs. One was “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and the other wasn’t.
Rutherford Hayes was the first President to use a telephone while in office.
James Garfield could simultaneously write Greek with one hand and Latin in the other. He was the first left-handed President. Garfield was the second President assassinated in office.
Chester Arthur said, “I may be President of the United States, but my private life is nobody’s damned business.” His critics claimed he was not a US citizen and that he was born in Canada.
Grover Cleveland answered the White House telephone. He served two terms as President, 22nd and 24th, but the terms were not consecutive.
Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of William Harrison, the ninth US President. His great-grandfather, Benjamin Harrison, signed the Declaration of Independence. Harrison was the first President to live in the White House after electricity was installed. After being shocked while touching a light switch, he and his family refused to either turn on or off any lights.
William McKinley was the first President to ride in an automobile.
Theodore Roosevelt was the first President to ride in an airplane. He was the first to call the Presidential residence the “White House.” He was the youngest President, but Kennedy was the youngest “elected” to the Presidency. Roosevelt became President after McKinley was assassinated.
William Taft was the only President to serve as a Supreme Court Justice after serving as President. Taft was the first President to throw out the first pitch of the baseball season and the last with facial hair. One of only two Presidents buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Woodrow Wilson is the first President to earn a Ph.D. He was the first President to hold a press conference.
Warren Harding has size 14 feet.
Calvin Coolidge was a man of few words. When a house guest told him of a bet with another person that she could get him to say more than two words, Coolidge told her, “You lose.” He refused to use the telephone while in office. He had an electronic horse installed at the White House and rode it every day.
Herbert Hoover earned an engineering degree from Stanford. He never held an elected office prior to becoming President. He donated his salary to charity.
Franklin Roosevelt was the first President to appear on television. He was the first President to have a Presidential aircraft.
Harry Truman was the first President to give a speech on television. He practiced the piano for two hours each day.
Dwight Eisenhower played golf almost 180 days a year while serving as President. He served in both WWI and WWII. He played football for West Point and was injured during a game while trying to tackle Jim Thorpe.
John Kennedy was the first President to hold a televised press conference. He was the first born in the 20th century. He was the youngest elected President. One of two Presidents buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Lyndon Johnson was once a school teacher in Texas.
Richard Nixon was the first President to visit all 50 states.
Gerald Ford became Vice President and President without being elected to either office. He served as a Yellowstone Park Ranger in 1936. He was right handed for everything except writing.
Jimmy Carter was the first President born in a hospital.
Ronald Reagan was the first actor elected President and starred in 53 movies.
George H.W. Bush was the first Vice President to be elected President since Van Buren. He was the first President to lose re-election since Van Buren.
William Clinton was the first left handed President to serve two terms.
George W. Bush was one of only two Presidents whose fathers were also Presidents.
Barack Obama is the first African American President.
