Fun Facts about all 45 Presidents!
1. George Washington
George Washington was the only president unanimously elected, receiving every vote from the state representatives.
2. John Adams
John Adams was the first president to live in the White House, moving in on November 1st, 1800.
3. Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a wine aficionado, he had a massive cellar and two whole vineyards on his estate at Monticello.
4. James Madison
James Madison was America's smallest president, standing at 5'4" and weighing a mere 100 lbs.
5. James Monroe
Monrovia, Liberia is named after James Monroe, making it the only foreign capital to be named after a U.S. President.
6. John Quincy Adams
Adams was elected to the House of Representatives in 1830, making him the only ex-president to serve in the House.
7.Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson received a 1,400 lb wheel of cheddar cheese as a gift in 1835. He kept it on display in the White House for the next 2 years, serving it to over 10,000 guests at a reception before leaving the White House.
8. Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren was the only president to speak English as a second language, growing up in a dutch speaking household and community.
9. William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the shortest-serving U.S. President, dying of pneumonia a mere 32 days after taking office.
10. John Tyler
John Tyler had more children than any other president. He had 15!
11. James K. Polk
James K. Polk was the first U.S. president to have his photograph taken while in office.
12. Zachary Taylor
Taylor was a career military officer prior to being elected president and served in the army for 40 years from 1808 until his election in 1848.
13. Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore served without a Vice President for his entire time in office. Assuming the presidency after the death of Zachary Taylor, the 25th amendment for picking a new Vice President was not passed until 1967.
14. Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the only President to keep his entire cabinet in place for his entire 4-year term.
15. James Buchanan
Buchanan was the only president to never marry.
16. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the first U.S. President to fashion a beard while in office.
17. Andrew Johnson
Johnson never attended school. His father died when he was just 3 years old, and he decided to work as an apprentice rather than attend school.
18. Ulysses S. Grant
The "S" in his name doesn't actually stand for anything and was the result of a clerical error on his West Point enrollment papers. The name eventually stuck.
19. Rutherford B. Hayes
Hayes banned all alcohol from the White House, believing it to be below the dignity of the office.
20. James A. Garfield
Garfield was ambidextrous, and could even write in Greek with one hand and Latin with the other at the same time.
21. Chester Alan Arthur
Arthur was nicknamed the "Dude President" due to his love of clothing and fashion.
22. Grover Cleveland
Cleveland's real first name was "Stephen", adopting the name Grover in his adult years.
23. Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was the first president to have electricity in the White House.
24. Grover Cleveland
Cleveland was the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms, hence his dual appearance on this list.
25. William McKinley
McKinley was the first president to ride in an automobile.
26. Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt was blind in one eye, suffering from a detached retina caused during a friendly boxing match in the White House in 1908.
27. William Howard Taft
William Taft was appointed to the Supreme Court after his presidency and served as Chief Justice from 1921 until shortly before his death in 1930. The only President to hold both positions.
28. Woodrow Wilson
Wilson is buried at the Washington National Cathedral, the only president buried in Washington D.C.
29. Warren G. Harding
Harding was an avid poker player and one time lost a set of White House china in a game.
30. Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge is the only president to be born on Independence Day.
31. Herbert Hoover
Prior to his time as president, while serving in Calvin Coolidge's administration, Hoover starred in the first-ever television broadcast in American history.
32. Franklin D. Roosevelt
Roosevelt was the first sitting president to fly in an airplane.
33. Harry S. Truman
Truman was the only president since the 1900s who did not attend college.
34. Dwight D. Eisenhower
Eisenhower established Alaska and Hawaii as the 49th and 50th states, rounding out the 50 states in America.
35. John F. Kennedy
Kennedy was the last president to wear a top hat at his inauguration.
36. Lyndon B. Johnson
Johnson had an amphibious car capable of going from land straight into the water. He even played a prank on unwitting victims, pretending the car was out of control and headed for the water.
37. Richard M. Nixon
Nixon attempted to create an orange juice business, which quickly failed.
38. Gerald R. Ford
Ford was the first Eagle Scout to become President.
39. James Carter
Carter was not allowed to be his high school’s class Valedictorian because he skipped school to see a movie.
40. Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was the first person elected as President to have been divorced prior to his election.
41. George H. W. Bush
A pilot during WWII, Bush's plane was shot down over the Pacific. Thankfully he was able to bail out and was saved by a U.S. Navy destroyer.
42. Bill Clinton
Clinton is an avid jazz musician and saxophonist.
43. George W Bush
George W Bush was the first president to run a marathon.
44. Barack Obama
Barack Obama worked at a Baskin Robbins as his first job and has not liked ice cream ever since.
45. Donald Trump
Donald Trump is the only President with no military or public service prior to his election.