20 Things you didnt know about the Presidents...

[Yankeegirl]

1. In warm weather, 6th president of the United States John Quincy Adams customarily went skinny-dipping in the Potomac River before dawn.


2. 9th U.S. president William Henry Harrison was inaugurated on a bitterly cold day and gave the longest inauguration speech ever. The new president promptly caught a cold that soon developed into pneumonia. Harrison died exactly one month into his presidential term, the shortest in U.S. history.


3. John Tyler, 10th U.S. president, fathered 15 children (more than any other president)--8 by his first wife, and 7 by his second wife. Tyler was past his seventieth birthday when his 15th child was born.


4. Sedated only by brandy, 11th president of the United States James Polk survived gall bladder surgery at the age of 17.

5. 15th U.S. president James Buchanan is the only unmarried man ever to be elected president. Buchanan was engaged to be married once; however, his fiancée died suddenly after breaking off the engagement, and he remained a bachelor all his life.

6. Often depicted wearing a tall black stovepipe hat, 16th president of the United States Abraham Lincoln carried letters, bills, and notes in his hat.

7. 17th U.S. president Andrew Johnson never attended school. His future wife, Eliza McCardle, taught him to write at the age of 17. (Bonus fact about Andrew Johnson: He only wore suits that he custom-tailored himself.)

8. Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the United States, died of throat cancer. During his life, Grant had smoked about 20 cigars per day.

9. Both ambidextrous and multilingual, 20th president of the United States James Garfield could write Greek with one hand while writing Latin with the other.

10. Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th president of the United States, underwent a secret operation aboard a yacht to remove his cancerous upper jaw in 1893.

11. The teddy bear derived from 26th U.S. president Theodore ("Teddy") Roosevelt's refusal to shoot a bear with her cub while on a hunting trip in Mississippi.

12. William Taft, 27th president of the United States, weighed more than 300 pounds and had a special oversized bathtub installed in the White House.

13. Warren Harding, 29th U.S. president, played poker at least twice a week, and once gambled away an entire set of White House china. His advisors were nicknamed the "Poker Cabinet" because they joined the president in his poker games.

14. Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States, had chronic stomach pain and required 10 to 11 hours of sleep and an afternoon nap every day.

15. Herbert Hoover, 31st U.S. president, published more than 16 books, including one called Fishing for Fun-And to Wash Your Soul.

16. 32nd president of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt was related, either by blood or by marriage, to 11 former presidents.

17. The letter "S" comprises the full middle name of the 33rd president, Harry S. Truman. It represents two of his grandfathers, whose names both had "S" in them.

18. Military leader and 34th president of the U.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower loved to cook; he developed a recipe for vegetable soup that is 894 words long and includes the stems of nasturtium flowers as one of the ingredients.

19. 40th president of the United States Ronald Reagan broke the so-called "20-year curse," in which every president elected in a year ending in 0 died in office.

20. George W. Bush, 43rd president of the United States, and his wife Laura got married just three months after meeting each other.


I thought these were so interesting... Thought I would pass along!

[CentralFlGal]

9. Both ambidextrous and multilingual, 20th president of the United States James Garfield could write Greek with one hand while writing Latin with the other.

Now *that's* talent.

[Skywatch_NC]

I'm related to Lincoln on my mother's side of the family...actor Tom Hanks is also related...as Abraham's mother Nancy's maiden name was Hanks. My folks and I have visited Lincoln historical sites in IN and KY but haven't yet in IL. While at Lincoln's birthplace...a ranger guide told us that Tom had visited sometime in the past!

Eric

[SouthFloridawx]

My girlfriend was a server at cracker barrell and she met tom hanks, he told her that she was beautiful and that it was a pleasure to meet her. Of course she said to him before that, "Mr. Hanks it's wonderful to meet you I admire your work so much". She said he was a very nice man and kind to everyone.

[kevin]

5. 15th U.S. president James Buchanan is the only unmarried man ever to be elected president. Buchanan was engaged to be married once; however, his fiancée died suddenly after breaking off the engagement, and he remained a bachelor all his life.

He also lived with a man for 16 years.

[alicia-w]

My girlfriend was a server at cracker barrell and she met tom hanks, he told her that she was beautiful and that it was a pleasure to meet her. Of course she said to him before that, "Mr. Hanks it's wonderful to meet you I admire your work so much". She said he was a very nice man and kind to everyone.

that's really nice, but what does it have to do with American presidents?

[CajunMama]

gosh alicia, southfloridawx2005 was just making a comment to skywatch_NC...it's ok to make a comment isn't it?

[alicia-w]

just wondering if he meant to post it somewhere else.

[Aslkahuna]

Number 5 is not quite correct. Grover Cleveland was also unmarried when elected to office. He became the first and only President to be married in the White House.

Steve

[O Town]

just wondering if he meant to post it somewhere else.

No, I think it was in response to skywatches comment on how Tom Hanks was related to Lincoln.

I'm related to Lincoln on my mother's side of the family...actor Tom Hanks is also related...as Abraham's mother Nancy's maiden name was Hanks. My folks and I have visited Lincoln historical sites in IN and KY but haven't yet in IL. While at Lincoln's birthplace...a ranger guide told us that Tom had visited sometime in the past!

Eric

[greeng13]

My girlfriend was a server at cracker barrell and she met tom hanks, he told her that she was beautiful and that it was a pleasure to meet her. Of course she said to him before that, "Mr. Hanks it's wonderful to meet you I admire your work so much". She said he was a very nice man and kind to everyone.

that's really nice, but what does it have to do with American presidents?

Seems like the "Forum Police" are out again.

No mention of Andrew Jackson's "Kitchen Cabinet"...although I did read about that one in a text book so I guess we should all know about it.

[Skywatch_NC]

just wondering if he meant to post it somewhere else.

No, I think it was in response to skywatches comment on how Tom Hanks was related to Lincoln.

I'm related to Lincoln on my mother's side of the family...actor Tom Hanks is also related...as Abraham's mother Nancy's maiden name was Hanks. My folks and I have visited Lincoln historical sites in IN and KY but haven't yet in IL. While at Lincoln's birthplace...a ranger guide told us that Tom had visited sometime in the past!

Eric

I don't think that alicia was referring to my post.

[brunota2003]

Hey...he isnt in there, but I'm related by blood to George Washington, and Tomas Jefferson was a very good friend of the family...

[SouthFloridawx]

My girlfriend was a server at cracker barrell and she met tom hanks, he told her that she was beautiful and that it was a pleasure to meet her. Of course she said to him before that, "Mr. Hanks it's wonderful to meet you I admire your work so much". She said he was a very nice man and kind to everyone.

that's really nice, but what does it have to do with American presidents?

sorry alicia

[SouthFloridawx]

I once met John Kerry and John Edwards at a rally...

[SouthFloridawx]

ok ok here is some weird presidential facts

Look what happens when a President gets elected in a year with a "0" at the end.
Also notice it goes in increments of 20 years.

1840: William Henry Harrison (died in office)
1860: Abraham Lincoln (assassinated)
1880: James A. Garfield (assassinated)
1900: William McKinley (assassinated)
1920: Warren G. Harding (died in office)
1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt (dies in office)
1960: John F. Kennedy (assassinated)
1980: Ronald Reagan (survived assassination attempt)
2000: George W. Bush ????????????

And to think that we had two guys fighting it out in the courts to be the one elected in
2000.

You might also be interested in this.

Have a history teacher explain this----- if they can.

Abraham Lincoln was elected to Congress in 1846.
John F. Kennedy was elected to Congress in 1946.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860.
John F. Kennedy was elected President in 1960.

Both were particularly concerned with civil rights.
Both wives lost their children while living in the White House.

Both Presidents were shot on a Friday.
Both Presidents were shot in the head.

Now it gets really weird.

Lincoln's secretary was named Kennedy.
Kennedy's Secretary was named Lincoln.

Both were assassinated by Southerners.
Both were succeeded by Southerners named Johnson.

Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln, was born in 1808.
Lyndon Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy, was born in 1908.

John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Lincoln, was born in
1839.
Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated Kennedy, was born in 1939.

Both assassins were known by their three names.
Both names are composed of fifteen letters.

Now hang on to your seat.

Lincoln was shot at the theater named 'Ford.' Kennedy was shot in a car called 'Lincoln' made by 'Ford.'

Booth and Oswald were assassinated before their trials.

And here's the kicker.......

A week before Lincoln was shot, he was in Monroe, Maryland.

A week before Kennedy was shot, he was with Marilyn Monroe.

[Brent]

I have seen that list many times and it is still freaky.