The 10 Weirdest Facts about American Presidents
This week we celebrated Presidents’ Day, a holiday which itself has a weird and winding history. In honor of all of the U.S. Presidents who have graced the White House and fearlessly led our country, here (in no particular order) is a list of 10 of the weirdest things you (probably) never knew about some of our Commanders-In-Chief.
1. Franklin D. Roosevelt (President #32) was related in some way to 11 former U.S. Presidents.
2. James Garfield, the 20th president, was a professor of ancient languages; he was also ambidextrous. He is said to have been able to write in Latin with one hand while writing in Greek with the other.
3. John Tyler, the 10th president, fathered an impressive 15 children. He was in his 70s when the 15th child was born.
4. The tall stovepipe hat that Abraham Lincoln (President #16) is usually depicted wearing was, in fact, a useful wardrobe device. He stored important papers inside of it.
5. Our 17th President, Andrew Johnson, was born poor and could not read until the age of 17, when he met his future wife and she tutored him in reading, public speaking, and mathematics. He was later very nearly lynched in Virginia and forced to flee his home in Tennessee when he opposed the South’s secession from the Union.
6. The 22nd and 24th president, Grover Cleveland, was drafted in the Civil War but paid a substitute $150 to take his place so he could stay behind to care for his mother and sisters. Unlike Bill Clinton who would dodge the military draft nearly a century later, Cleveland wasn’t widely criticized for this move: the Conscription Act of 1863 expressly permitted such a substitution.
7. Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, was reported to be a very interesting character. When not having his head massaged with Vaseline during breakfasts in bed or riding his own mechanical bull, he was ringing the White House doorbell and then running off to hide.
8. So far, all American presidents have claimed ancestry limited to one or more of just seven nationalities: Dutch, English, German, Irish, Scottish, Swiss, and Welsh.
9. Grover Cleveland was the only president to openly admit that he had fathered an illegitimate child. When the allegations came out during his presidential campaign, he instructed his staff to tell the truth about the child. In reality, it was never determined whether Cleveland was the child’s real father; he paid child support because he was the only single man among the mother’s suitors.
10. There were four presidents who were not actual presidents of the United States: Sam Houston, Mirabeau Lamar, and Anson Jones were all presidents of the Republic of Texas. Jefferson Davis was President of the Confederate States of America.
Posted: February 19th, 2008 under American Politics.
Comments: 34
Comments
Comment from Chris “glutton for presidential triva” Estes
Time: February 19, 2008, 5:51 pm
I love presidential trivia. My favorite tidbit is Taft getting stuck in a White House bathroom.
Comment from john
Time: February 19, 2008, 6:13 pm
Bush dodged the draft too.
Comment from Charred
Time: February 20, 2008, 7:51 am
The last one wasn’t very interesting or American. Texas presidents are not pertinent to your title.
Comment from Barry
Time: February 20, 2008, 9:37 am
Funny, I woulda though Gearge W woulda made the list due to his addiction to spending trillions of dollars and making a background check required for tons of sensless things.
Comment from comentr
Time: February 20, 2008, 10:23 am
What about the retarded president who sends americans to their deaths in far off lands with fabricated evidence of WMD?
Comment from DJ
Time: February 20, 2008, 10:44 am
You forgot to mention in #6 the fact that G.W. Bush also draft dodged. Why?
Comment from Rodrigo
Time: February 20, 2008, 10:46 am
And what about, Bush Jr. spending more time playing golf than riding the nation???
Comment from joe
Time: February 20, 2008, 11:09 am
This is a great list Calvin Coolidge was like a child.
Comment from Big Boomer
Time: February 20, 2008, 11:15 am
Dick Cheney also “dodged the military draft” during the Viet Nam war. President Bush dodged military service by going AWOL although no charges were made at the time and virtually all records of his service in the Texas Air National Guard were destroyed after he became Governor to “prevent embarrassment”.
Comment from MarMar
Time: February 20, 2008, 11:29 am
actually, John Hanson and Thomas McKean were also presidents of the united states under the articles of confederation
Comment from bushater
Time: February 20, 2008, 11:42 am
What about Gorge W Bush ? The one man who took coinspiried 9/11 , got US to fight 2 wars and raised US debt of about 7trilion$. Stupid Americans
Comment from jong
Time: February 20, 2008, 11:52 am
Interesting until I hit this crap: “Unlike Bill Clinton who would dodge the military draft nearly a century later..”
No, he got a draft deferment, just like millions of other Americans.
But if you want to throw political grenades, you left out George Bush’s National Guard gymnastics and Dick Cheney’s world record 5 draft deferments.
Comment from P.A.H.
Time: February 20, 2008, 12:04 pm
“Unlike Bill Clinton”? How about “Unlike Bill Clinton who stayed in University or George Bush who conveniently served in the NG stateside”
It seems biased not to mention both.
“Dutch, English, German, Irish, Scottish, Swiss, and Welsh.”
WTF? Think about the definition of nation, please. Nation isn’t defined by once having a pretty separate government in an era before the concept of nation was established. One way to gloss this might be substitute ethnicity.
Comment from J Rust
Time: February 20, 2008, 12:52 pm
You’ve also forgotten about the “presidents” under the Articles of Confederation, starting with John Hanson.
Comment from Fair
Time: February 20, 2008, 1:14 pm
You’re not gonna say anything about Bush’s family string-pulling to hide him out in the National Guard? Lol.
Comment from bigmike
Time: February 20, 2008, 1:59 pm
haters…but all you haters have a right i guess…1st amendment
so ill call you all haters again !
Comment from P Rusty
Time: February 20, 2008, 2:05 pm
Another fact, Taft’s father was the founder of Yale’s Skull & bones. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm??????????
Comment from Joe
Time: February 20, 2008, 2:06 pm
The writer points out that Clinton avoided the draft but fails to mention Dick Cheney and George W. Bush.
Comment from wayne
Time: February 20, 2008, 3:49 pm
Yea, Texas!!
Comment from John Redding
Time: February 20, 2008, 4:00 pm
Also this article failed to mention about Lyndon B. Johnson who liked to frequently drop his pants and flaunt his junk at staff members and the White House press pool. True story.
Comment from Stephen
Time: February 20, 2008, 6:59 pm
Wow, the thing about Calvin Coolidge is funny.
Comment from bob
Time: February 20, 2008, 11:06 pm
What about William Brown Ide, President of California?
Comment from D
Time: February 21, 2008, 12:16 am
Thanks for your comments, everyone. I’d like to assure you that my omission of Bush’s own military controversy was not a vast right-wing conspiracy, nor was #6 a dig against President Clinton. I simply mentioned his name because, in my lifetime, Clinton was the president who was criticized the most for dodging a military draft. I didn’t say that I agreed with that criticism or that I think he did dodge a draft, or even that I thought he was wrong for attending school overseas during a draft - simply that he was criticized publicly for dodging a military draft, which is true. We bloggers are only human, and it is sometimes hard to predict how our thoughts will sound when read by others. I apologize to those of you who seem truly offended by the Clinton item. Don’t take this list too seriously, folks - it’s all in good fun. 
Comment from nick martino
Time: February 21, 2008, 9:01 am
bushie & shotgun cheney both avoided the service. bush served in the jack daniels battalion, while shotgun was busy educating himself at the U. of dumbass.
Comment from Casey
Time: February 21, 2008, 12:09 pm
Wow… look at all of you that took this light hearted and funny article and tried to make it into a bush bashing extravaganza. sure hes a terrible president but have a sense of humor. im glad that youre passionate but there is a time and place for everything.
Comment from airship
Time: February 21, 2008, 12:21 pm
You forgot Samuel Huntington, who also served under the Articles of Confederation. He served for four months between the terms of Hanson and McKean.
Comment from Chill
Time: February 21, 2008, 2:57 pm
Texas is lame. Voted worse place to live in by USA Today poll.
Comment from 1785Dawg
Time: February 21, 2008, 6:02 pm
Bush flew fighter jets for the Texas Air National Guard. He could have been called up. That is a far cry from signing up for ROTC to avoid the draft (ala Bill Clinton), never attending any military functions and then cruising to England to avoid the draft. Surely, there would have been easier ways for Bush to avoid danger than flying fighters.
You guys on the left are so blind and delusional in your hatred of Bush and all things right of center that you can’t even think straight. No one on the left raised an eyebrow at Clinton’s avoidance of service to his country, but have to criticize Bush’s SERVICE to the country.
Many national Guard units did serve in Viet Nam as they have in every modern war. Bush’s unit could have been called up. The bottom line is that he served his country in an acceptable and and legal manner, unlike Clinton. That is just how it is.
Comment from De Fries
Time: February 22, 2008, 6:30 am
You crazy Americans getting so worked up about nothing. Like Casey mentioned: look at the funny side of this article. Made me smile
Comment from Thomas
Time: February 22, 2008, 9:29 pm
Some facts for all who seem to believe the “false” information concerning WMD led us to enter Iraq. Who was it that made removing Saddam a matter of US policy? William Jefferson Clinton. Who was handed Osama on a silver platter and refused? William Jefferson Clinton. Who, to this day, is writing his legacy? William Jefferson Clinton.
I have no issue with opposition to W. All are ENCOURAGED to voice their opinion, for this is The United States. Be fair, and look at both sides.
Comment from Mark
Time: February 23, 2008, 6:03 am
I love Presidential trivia. Here are some others:
-) Abigail Adams, wife of 2nd President John Adams, hung laundry to dry in the unfinished East Room of the White House
-) John Quincy Adams, 6th President, was known to skinny dip in the Potomac
-) Another one regarding John Tyler, 10th President. He received word he had become President upon the deal of W.H. Harrison while on his knees playing marbles with his sons. His father was a Minister and gave him the oath of office.
-) Zachary Taylor, 12th President, died in office of severe gastroenteritis after ingesting an excessive amount of cherries and iced milk on a hot day. A few years ago his descendants allowed his body to be exhumed and tested for poisoning, which came up negative.
-) Electric lights made their debut in the White House during the Harrison administration (23rd President). The President and his family refused to touch the light switches, fearing electrocution.
-) Grover Cleveland underwent a secret operation to remove a cancerous portion of his jaw, which was kept from the public for many years. Try getting away with that today!
-) Yes, Taft was indeed a huge one. He also was the first President to play golf and the first to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at a major league baseball game.
-) Woodrow Wilson, #28, is the only President to have two wives during his administration, remarrying after the death of his first wife. His second wife, Edith, controlled all access to Wilson after he suffered a debilitating stroke toward the end of administration, in essence running the country herself (before women could even vote!)
-) During Truman’s administration, the White House was collapsing from the inside out and needed serious renovation. Truman refused to allow the external facade to be touched, therefore all the heavy equipment had to be disassembled, moved into the house in pieces, then reassembled to do the reconstruction.
Comment from Shandooga
Time: February 27, 2008, 8:38 am
The Presidency is a deception. The US is still a property of England. The purpose of the american citizen is to do the bidding of the Queen, specifically, protect her and pay tribute to her through the “Federal” Reserve Bank. You’ve been lied to consistently for 200 years. Half of the presidents have been her relatives. Bush did 9/11. The worst is yet to come.
Comment from Best Video Site …
Time: March 1, 2008, 4:33 am
You forgot Samuel Huntington, who also served under the Articles of Confederation. He served for 5 months between the terms of Hanson and McKean.
Comment from presfan
Time: March 9, 2008, 9:18 am
Clinton is mentioned because he was criticized for it G W was not. thats all. great list.
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