Presidents Day

With President’s Day nearing, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on those who served as chief executive of our country.  And while you may be well-versed in textbook facts about each president, you may have never heard of some of their peeves, quirks, and pastimes.

For example, while Abraham Lincoln is renowned for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation that abolished slavery, did you know that the 16^thpresident was a near-undefeated wrestler? And Calvin Coolidge, our 30^thpresident, liked having his scalp massaged with petroleum jelly while he enjoyed breakfast in bed.

• Here are some others I found:
• George Washington’s teeth were not made of wood, but from elephant and walrus tusks.
• Thomas Jefferson spoke six different languages
• James Monroe, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson all died on July 4^th.
• Martin Van Buren was the first American born president.  
• John Tyler had 15 children
• Franklin Pierce memorized his entire inaugural speech of 3,319 words.
• James Madison- Monrovia, the capital of Liberia is named after him.
• Martin Van Buren’s nickname was Old Kinderhook, it’s a theory that “OK” came from his campaigns.
• Zachary Taylor died from eating contaminated cherries that caused cholera.
• James Buchanan regularly bought slaves in Washington DC and quietly freed them in Pennsylvania.
• James Garfield was ambidextrous.  He could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other.
• Chester A. Arthur was known for his impeccable attire, earning him the nickname “Elegant Arthur.” He owned 80 pairs of pants.
• Jimmy Carter was the first president to be born in a hospital.
• Lyndon B. Johnson was an auto mechanic and teacher before becoming president.
• James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were once arrested for taking a carriage ride on Sunday.  It was against the law in Vermont at the time.
• Harry S. Truman read every book in his hometown library. Also he has no middle name, just a letter “S.”  His parents couldn’t decide which grandfather to name him after, so just named him Harry S. Truman.
• Herbert Hoover spoke Chinese to his wife to keep their conversations private.
• Calvin Coolidge was the only president to be born on the 4^thof July.
• Warren G. Harding gambled away a set of White House china.
• William H. Taft was the heaviest president at 332 pounds.
• Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest ever to be president.
• Grover Cleveland was the first and only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
• Rutherford B Hayes was the first president to use a phone. His phone number was 1.
• Benjamin Harrison (23^rdpresident) was the grandson of William Henry Harrison (9^thpresident). William died after only 31 days in office. He died of pneumonia.
• John Quincy Adams enjoyed skinny-dipping in the Potomac River in the early morning while in office.
• James Buchanan was the only bachelor president.
•  

Hope you all enjoy Presidents’ Day.

 Barb Goss

www.barbaragossbooks.com