Try This Quiz on Fun Facts About U.S. Presidents

When Warren G. Harding was elected as the 29th President of the United States, he did so in an unprecedented landslide victory, gaining 7 million more votes than Democrat James M. Cox.

Herbert Hoover was born in Iowa to a blacksmith and a teacher, but was orphaned at the age of 9. He then moved to Oregon, where he was raised by his uncle.

President Grant’s given name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, but he often went by Ulysses. An Ohio congressman mistakenly put an “S” as Grant’s middle initial when nominating him to West Point, and the name stuck.

William Howard Taft was elected President in 1908 and served for one term. He returned to Washington in 1921 to serve on the Supreme Court as chief justice of the United States.

Grover Cleveland is the only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms, but he also won the popular vote in the election in between. In 1888, Cleveland received 90,000 more votes than Benjamin Harrison, but lost the electoral vote 233-168.

In 1836, President Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheese as a gift from dairy farmers in New York, which he displayed in the White House for over a year. Before leaving office, Jackson invited anyone to come take some cheese. A firsthand account recalls men, women, and children hacking away at it until "the carpet was slippery with cheese."

Most babies were born at home until 20th-century advances in medicine made hospitals useful. Jimmy Carter, born in 1924, was the first U.S. President born in a hospital. However, when he went home to the family farm, his house lacked plumbing and electricity, so his upbringing still wasn’t quite so modern.

In 1954, the U.S. Golf Association gifted President Dwight D. Eisenhower the 3,000-square-foot putting green that was added to the South Lawn of the White House. President Bill Clinton later had the putting green moved and redesigned, but President Donald Trump added a room-sized golf simulator to the White House in 2019.

On a cold, wet day in March 1841, William Henry Harrison refused an overcoat as he delivered his 8,445-word inaugural address. Harrison died 31 days into his term, and while some attributed his death to the long, chilly speech, researchers now believe unclean drinking water was the cause of his fatal illness.

Over three tons of Jelly Belly jelly beans were brought in for Ronald Reagan’s inauguration. The flavors were Very Cherry (red), Coconut (white), and Blueberry (blue), the last of which was made specifically for the event to complete the American flag colors. Why jelly beans? Reagan used the candy to quit smoking and was known to carry around a jar of them.

Gerald Ford was an MVP at the University of Michigan and played with the 1935 Collegiate All-Star football team. Ford turned down offers to play for the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, instead choosing to pursue his law degree at Yale University, though he did serve as the Yale football team's assistant coach during his time on campus.

Standing at 5 feet, 4 inches, James Madison was exactly a foot shorter than the tallest President, Abraham Lincoln (who stood at 6 feet, 4 inches). His closest rivals in height were Benjamin Harrison and Martin Van Buren, both of whom were a wee bit taller at 5 feet, 6 inches tall.

Calvin Coolidge practically ran a petting zoo out of the White House. The 30th President kept no fewer than 29 pets during his tenure on Pennsylvania Avenue. There were normal pets in large numbers, but there were some strange ones, too. Among them: a goose named Enoch, a mockingbird, Rebecca and Reuben the raccoons, Ebenezer the donkey, and Smoky the bobcat.

The tradition of U.S. Presidents pardoning turkeys on Thanksgiving has unofficial roots dating back to Abraham Lincoln, who is said to have granted clemency to a Thanksgiving turkey in 1863 after his son grew fond of the bird. A few other Presidents also spared turkeys over the years, but the act didn’t become a formal White House tradition until 1989 under George H.W. Bush, who officially granted a bird a presidential pardon that year.

Thomas Jefferson was many things: scholar, diplomat, President. He was also a man who loved ice cream. It's likely he became acquainted with the frozen dessert while acting as a diplomat in France. Although he didn't introduce ice cream to the U.S., he did help popularize it by serving it at the President's house in Washington, D.C.

In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first President to appear on television when he attended the New York World’s Fair in Queens. The technology was fairly new at the time, so not many people actually tuned in. FDR’s successor, Harry S. Truman, delivered the first televised presidential address in October 1947, asking Americans to cut back on grain and meat consumption to help a struggling Europe.

The eight known lefty Presidents are James Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. The number of lefties could be higher, though, since historically left-handed people were often persuaded to use their right hand. If eight doesn’t seem like a lot, consider that just 10% of the global population is left-handed, compared to seven of the last 15 Presidents.

In 1907, just four years after the Wright brothers took their first flight, a small division of the U.S. Army was established to focus on aeronautics. This aviation segment grew, serving an important role in both world wars. After World War II ended, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, formally establishing the U.S. Air Force.

Abraham Lincoln was easily recognizable for many reasons: He was the tallest President, was known for wearing a black top hat, and was the first U.S. President to sport a beard while in office. Only four Presidents that followed him embraced facial hair, ending (for now) with America’s 23rd President, Benjamin Harrison.

Before his full-time transition into politics, George W. Bush was part of the ownership group of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1998. He gave up his leadership role in 1994 upon being elected governor of Texas, but remained invested until the team was sold in 1998. That departure helped free up Bush to run for President two years later.

Mark Twain was a fan of President Ulysses S. Grant, but didn’t get active in politics until Rutherford B. Hayes’ presidential campaign in 1876. Twain’s speech in support of Hayes was published in full on the front page of “The New York Times” under the heading “Mark Twain in Politics.”

Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was well known for his prowess as a hunter and outdoorsman, but it was his refusal to shoot a bear that someone else had captured for him that struck a chord with the nation. Political cartoons made fun of him, but Morris Michtom was inspired by the tale. He created a plush, stuffed bear and named it Teddy, unknowingly creating one of the most well-loved toys in history.

Before he became President, James Buchanan was briefly engaged to Ann Coleman, the daughter of a wealthy iron magnate. That was as close as Buchanan ever got to marriage, and he remains the only U.S. President who was a lifelong bachelor.

Called “Shangri-La” by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman, the presidential retreat in Maryland was renamed “Camp David” by Dwight D. Eisenhower, after his grandson.

During his presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson pushed a series of programs called the “Great Society,” which included the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the creation of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

Of our nation's 46 Presidents, six have been named James. That's roughly 13%, making it the most common presidential name. The first James to take the presidential oath was James Madison, the fourth POTUS. He was immediately succeeded by James Monroe. The 11th President, James K. Polk, was next, followed by James Buchanan (No. 15), James Garfield (No. 20), and James "Jimmy" Carter (No. 39).

Although Eisenhower never saw active combat, he spent 35 years in the military, and commanded the Allied troops in Europe during WWII. Eisenhower led “Operation Overlord,” commonly known as D-Day.