Bosnia and Herzegovina has three presidents, one Bosniak, one Croat and one Serb, who serve together for four years and alternate as head of state. Other countries with collective presidencies include Switzerland and San Marino. Although many countries have a president and a prime minister, Bosnia and Herzegovina has three presidents at the same time. […]
US presidents have used pranks and humor to relieve stress. Examples include Lyndon B. Johnson driving his amphibious car into a pond and Calvin Coolidge hiding from his bodyguards. Other surprising facts include Gerald Ford’s love for cooking and Andrew Jackson’s foul-mouthed parrot. John Quincy Adams enjoyed naked morning swims in the Potomac River. Someone […]
US presidents tend to live longer than others born in the same year due to their affluent backgrounds and access to good healthcare. Early presidents lived longer than their peers, and gray hair is mostly due to genetics. The longest-serving president was Gerald Ford at 93 years, while James Polk was the shortest-lived at 53. […]
The Curse of Tecumseh is a legend that every 20 years, starting with William Henry Harrison, the president-elect would die. Eight US presidents have died while in office, with four being assassinated. Ronald Reagan’s survival of an assassination attempt is believed to have ended the curse. Eight US presidents have died while in office, since […]
Top hats were popular in Europe and the US in the 19th century, with US presidents wearing them to their inaugurations. However, they fell out of fashion, and John F. Kennedy was the last president to wear one in 1961. US presidential inaugurations have had various historical firsts, including being filmed, televised, and broadcast on […]
Grover Cleveland was the only US president to marry in the White House. He married Frances Folsom, who was 21 years old while he was 49. The Marine Band played music at the wedding. Other presidential wedding facts are also mentioned. The only US president to be married in the White House was Grover Cleveland. […]
Nixon and Clinton’s names can be rearranged to spell “criminal”. Anagrams of US presidents’ names are popular, with websites dedicated to listing them. Many presidents have unusual middle names and nicknames. The names of two US presidents can be rearranged to spell the word criminal: Presidents Nixon and Clinton. There’s a long tradition of making […]
President Roosevelt’s First 100 Days Agenda, established in response to the Great Depression, set a high standard for subsequent presidents. The first 100 days are seen as a litmus test for presidential success, but it can take longer to implement effective plans. Roosevelt’s actions continue to create high expectations for incoming presidents, but history shows […]
US presidents rarely traveled internationally until Theodore Roosevelt visited Panama in 1906. The tradition of presidents staying in the US was so strong that Congress tried to pass a law transferring power to the vice president when Woodrow Wilson went to Europe in 1919. President Donald Trump recently toured Asia, with an itinerary that included […]
Despite the Declaration of Independence’s claim that “all men are created equal,” at least 18 US presidents owned slaves, including Thomas Jefferson, who owned about 175. Slave labor was also used to build the White House, and all early presidents except John Adams and his son owned slaves. The last president to own slaves while […]
Rose Cleveland became the unofficial first lady when her bachelor brother, Grover Cleveland, was elected president in 1884. She preferred academia to high society and later pursued a career in education and writing. Grover Cleveland was known for his weight, his experience as a sheriff, and being one of seven presidents to miss college. Little […]
John Quincy Adams chose to place his hand on a law book instead of a Bible during his inauguration as the sixth US president in 1825. He was known for being an unusual leader and later presidents, such as Franklin Pierce and Theodore Roosevelt, also skipped the Bible during their inaugurations. Adams lost the popular […]
Most US presidents who sought re-election after their first term won, with only 13 losing. Only three presidents from World War II to 2008 lost their respective elections. Seven declined the opportunity to run again, and eight died in office. As of 2012, 13 U.S. presidents who sought re-election after their first full or partial […]
The Secret Service, originally tasked with fighting counterfeiters, foiled a plot to steal Abraham Lincoln’s body in 1876. The would-be thieves were arrested, and the Secret Service became the presidential protector. They continue to protect presidents today, even carrying blood bags in the motorcade. For US presidents, being dead doesn’t necessarily mean they’re out of […]
Over half of US presidents have military experience, but only 24 served in combat. 12 have no military experience. Some presidents, like George W. Bush, were in the military but saw no action. Andrew Jackson served in multiple wars, while George Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. Over half of all US presidents have […]
Only JFK and Taft are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Most presidents are buried in their hometowns, but Wilson is buried in the National Cathedral. Over 300,000 people are buried there, including 62 foreign nationals and famous figures like Grissom and Holmes. Only two US presidents have been buried at Arlington National Cemetery: John F. […]
When George Washington was elected as the first US president, there was debate on how to address him. John Adams suggested “His Highness” but it was later simplified to “Mr. President” which is still used today. “Majesty” was dismissed as “superlatively ridiculous.” When George Washington was 57, he was elected president of the newly minted […]
16 US presidents were senators before becoming president, including James Monroe, John F. Kennedy, and Barack Obama. The Senate is seen as the “senior class” of Congress, and senators must have political experience, be at least 30 years old, and citizens for at least nine years. The fact that over a third of US presidents […]
Most US presidents have been firstborn children or firstborn sons, with 24 out of the first 44 presidents falling into this category. This may be because older children have more responsibilities and feel comfortable being leaders. No US president has been an only child. Most US presidents have been firstborn sons or firstborn sons. Of […]
21 US presidents have served more than one term, with FDR being the only one to serve more than two. Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms. 11 served two full terms. Some leaders served part of a previous president’s term, including Truman, Theodore Roosevelt, Coolidge, and Johnson. Nixon resigned during his second term, while McKinley […]
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