50 Fun Facts About the Presidents and Politicians — Part 1 of Our Series of 250 Fun Facts About America’s Heritage

As the United States approaches its 250th birthday, we at Commonplace Fun Facts thought it would be appropriate to celebrate by going back to our roots—those carefree days when our articles consisted primarily of one- or two-sentence fun facts and could be read in less time than it takes to finish that first cup of coffee.

But, much like the nation whose semiquincentennial anniversary we are celebrating, we have grown, developed, and become just a bit more loquacious in the process. It seemed only fitting to acknowledge that evolution by assembling a semiquincentennial series of 250 fun facts about the nation’s history.

Welcome to Part 1 of the series—this installment presenting a quinquagenary (we had to look it up, too—it means “50”) of fun facts about presidents and politicians—the individuals entrusted with guiding the nation who, in their spare time, occasionally kept raccoons, dueled each other, or held meetings while bathing.

In other words, quintessential American leadership.

In many cases, we’ve already written about these fun facts—usually in what could generously be described as enthusiastic (and occasionally excessive) detail. If something catches your interest—and we suspect it will, or you wouldn’t be reading this—just follow the provided link to dive deeper.

Presidential Quirks and Habits

1. George Washington did not have wooden teeth, but his dentures included ivory, metal, and possibly human teeth—less “folklore simplicity” and more “early experimental dentistry.”
2. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, because history occasionally has a flair for symbolism.
3. Thomas Jefferson kept detailed daily weather logs, because drafting founding documents apparently left him with spare time for meteorology.
4. James Madison, architect of the Constitution, stood just over five feet tall and weighed under 100 pounds, making him the smallest president in U.S. history.
5. James Monroe survived multiple wounds during the Revolutionary War, suggesting early presidential vetting included “can survive musket fire.”
6. John Quincy Adams regularly went skinny-dipping in the Potomac River and once had his clothes held hostage by a journalist seeking an interview.
7. Andrew Jackson’s pet parrot had to be removed from his funeral for swearing, which strongly suggests the parrot had been paying attention.
8. Martin Van Buren was the first president born as a U.S. citizen rather than a British subject.
9. William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address in history and died about a month later, making a compelling case for shorter speeches.
10. John Tyler, born in 1790, had grandchildren who lived into the 21st century (the last one passing away in 2025), which is mildly unsettling from a timeline perspective.

Strange Talents and Unexpected Skills

11. Abraham Lincoln was a bartender and co-owned a tavern before becoming president.
12. Andrew Johnson did not learn to read until adulthood, and was impeached, in part, for talking too much.
13. Dwight D. Eisenhower was an accomplished cook and was known to retreat to the kitchen to cope with the stress of his job.
14. Herbert Hoover spoke fluent Mandarin Chinese, a skill not typically listed in presidential campaign materials.
15. Calvin Coolidge was so quiet he earned the nickname “Silent Cal,” a trait many modern politicians have carefully avoided.
16. Theodore Roosevelt wrote dozens of books and explored remote regions of the world, apparently treating life as an endurance event.
17. Woodrow Wilson served as president of Princeton University before becoming president of the United States. He left academia after throwing a temper tantrum when he didn’t get his way on a building project.
18. Dwight D. Eisenhower may have played minor league baseball under an alias name before going to West Point.
19. Harry S. Truman played the piano regularly, sometimes entertaining guests himself.
20. Ronald Reagan worked as a lifeguard and saved 77 lives before entering politics and one more while he was governor of California.

Presidential Pets (Because Of Course There Are Presidential Pets)

21. John Quincy Adams allegedly kept an alligator at the White House, which seems less like a pet and more like a security feature.
22. Thomas Jefferson had mockingbirds that followed him around, which is either charming or slightly unsettling depending on your perspective.
23. Abraham Lincoln kept goats that occasionally wandered into meetings, possibly improving the quality of discussion.
24. Benjamin Harrison owned two opossums named Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection, which sound suspiciously like trade policies.
25. Theodore Roosevelt maintained what amounted to a small zoo at the White House.
26. William Howard Taft kept a cow to provide fresh milk, demonstrating a commitment to farm-to-table long before it was fashionable.
27. Calvin Coolidge had a pet raccoon named Rebecca that was originally intended to be Thanksgiving dinner but was granted a permanent reprieve.
28. Herbert Hoover had a Belgian shepherd that helped control access to him, functioning as both pet and unofficial security detail.
29. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s dog Fala became so famous that he was mentioned in political speeches.
30. John F. Kennedy’s White House included dogs, birds, and a pony, making it one of the more lively executive environments.

Political Rivalries and Awkward Moments

31. Aaron Burr, while serving as Vice President, killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel, which remains the most dramatic form of political disagreement resolution.
32. Andrew Jackson fought multiple duels before becoming president and carried a bullet in his body for years afterward.
33. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson spent years as bitter rivals before reconciling through correspondence later in life.
34. In 1856, Senator Charles Sumner was caned and nearly killed on the Senate floor by Representative Preston Brooks during a heated political dispute.
35. Dwight D. Eisenhower’s election in 1952 may have prevented Douglas MacArthur from becoming president.
36. Senator Bob Dole identified Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon as “See no Evil. Hear no Evil. And Evil.”
37. Gerald Ford became president without being elected to either the presidency or vice presidency.
38. Chester A. Arthur’s opponents tried to disqualify him from office by claiming he was not born as a U.S. citizen.
39. Lyndon B. Johnson wanted to know why he wasn’t well-liked. Dean Acheson responded, “Because you are not a very likeable man.”
40. For most of U.S. history, the vice presidency was considered so inconsequential that it was often handed to political rivals simply to keep them out of the way.

Odd Decisions, Laws, and Political Curiosities

41. George Washington’s whiskey tax led to the Whiskey Rebellion, proving Americans have always had strong feelings about taxation and alcohol.
42. Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase despite concerns about whether the Constitution explicitly allowed it.
43. Abraham Lincoln is the only president to hold a patent, for a device designed to lift boats over shoals.
44. Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation creating Yellowstone National Park, helping preserve natural landscapes for future generations.
45. Rutherford B. Hayes owned the first Siamese cat in the United States.
46. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to four terms, leading to the eventual passage of the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms.
47. Jimmy Carter filed a report describing an unidentified flying object he observed in the sky.
48. The Secret Service agent who saved Ronald Reagan’s life during an assassination attempt was inspired to join the Secret Service after watching Code of the Secret Service, starring Ronald Reagan.
49. Thomas Jefferson’s nephews were implicated in a grisly murder after an earthquake uncovered their attempts to hide the crime.
50. William McKinley routinely wore a carnation for good luck. He was assassinated moments after giving it away.

Coming Next

This is only Part 1. In Part 2, we will turn our attention to wars, disasters, and those moments when the nation collectively made a decision that, in hindsight, probably deserved a second meeting.

After all, if the people in charge were occasionally odd, just wait until you see what happened when everyone else got involved.

To dig deeper and to find out more fun facts about presidents, visit The White House Historical Association.

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