Trivial facts about each of the men that have held the office of the presidency.
The following is a quick run down of often overlooked facts about the first 20 Presidents of the United States.
Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe Trivia
- Contrary to popular belief, George Washington (1789-1797) never wore wooden dentures. His dentures were made of human or animal teeth and of ivory.
- John Adams (1797-1801) suffered from depression. Fluent in seven languages, he was the only president to be defeated by his own vice president, Thomas Jefferson.
- Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809), credited with introducing French fries, waffles, ice cream and macaroni and cheese to the American palate, has the most living descendants of any president.
- The 5’4” 100 pound James Madison (1809-1817) together with George Washington were the only presidents to have signed the U.S. Constitution.
- James Monroe (1817-1825) was the only president to serve as both Secretary of State and Secretary of War simultaneously. During his presidency, Florida was purchased from Spain.
Fun Facts About John Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, W.H. Harrison and Tyler
- John Q. Adams (1825-1829) was the first president elected despite not having received the most electoral votes or the most popular votes. He died from suffering a stroke on the House of Representatives floor while giving an anti-slavery speech.
- Andrew Jackson (1829-1837), the only president to have been a prisoner of war, served in both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
- English was Martin Van Buren’s (1837-1841) second language: his first was Dutch. He made three unsuccessful bids for reelection.
- The father of William Henry Harrison (1841) Benjamin Harrison V was a delegate from Virginia who signed the Declaration of independence. Harrison was the first president to die in office.
- John Tyler (1841-1845) personally stood up to an angry mob protesting at the White House. He was the father of 15 children.
Trivia About Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce and Buchanan
- James K. Polk (1845-1849) regularly put in 16 hour work days and never took a vacation while in office.
- Zachary Taylor (1849-1850) died in office of gastroenteritis after eating cherries that some believed to have been laced with arsenic. No evidence of arsenic poisoning was found.
- Millard Fillmore (1850-1853) had no vice president. He turned down an honorary degree from Oxford University arguing that one shouldn’t accept something they can’t read – it was in Latin.
- Franklin Pierce (1853-1857) gave his entire inaugural address from memory. Jefferson Davis served as his Secretary of War.
- James Buchanan (1857-1861) had one of the most corrupt cabinets in history. He recommended a pro-slavery constitution for Kansas.
Facts Regarding Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Grant, Hayes and Garfield
- Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865) is the only president to have received a patent. His invention lifted boats over shoals. His last descendant died in the 1980s leaving him no living heirs.
- Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) was acquitted of impeachment by a single vote. He is the only president to have served in the senate after his presidency.
- Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877) wanted to be a mathematics professor instead of continuing in the military after his West Point graduation. Grant’s intense migraines were often confused for bouts of drunkenness.
- The election of Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881) was the only one decided by a congressional commission. He was the first president to have a telephone in the White House.
- James Garfield (1881) was the first left-handed president. He learned to read at the age of three.
The feats, accomplishments and failures of the leaders of the United States are well documented. Thankfully, so are their peculiarities, oddities, idiosyncrasies and habits.
Sources:
- Lederer, Richard Presidential Trivia: The Feats, Fates, Families, Foibles, and Firsts of Our American Presidents. Utah. 2009
- McCullough, Noah. The Essential Book of Presidential Trivia. New York. 2006
- “The Presidents”. The White House Online. Retrieved 2 November 2009.
The copyright of the article More Presidential Fun Facts in US President is owned by Elvira Nieto. Permission to republish More Presidential Fun Facts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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