Get to Know Our
Presidents
Presidential Fun Facts
George Washington
Washington didn’t have teeth, and he had to wear dentures!
He was obsessed with keeping teeth cleaned and even made sure his horses
had their teeth brushed every day!
John Adams
Adams was the first president to live in the White House.
He was one of only two presidents who signed the Declaration of
Independence.
Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson had a pet grizzly bear cub at the White House!
He was a speleologist—a cave explorer!
James Madison
Madison was the shortest of all of our presidents. He was only 5’4”!
Madison and his wife used to serve all their guests ice cream.
James Monroe
Monroe was shot in the shoulder during the Revolutionary War, but they
never took the bullet out!
The White House was painted white during his presidency. It was just the
color of wood before that.
John Quincy Adams
Adams was the first president to have his photograph taken.
He used to go for a swim in the Potomac River every morning at 5 a.m.!
Andrew Jackson
Had a pet parrot named Poll who could whistle and talk. She didn’t always
speak politely though…
Jackson was involved in several duels. One of the bullets from a duel was
lodged in his chest the rest of his life!
Martin Van Buren
Van Buren used to be called “Old Kinderhook” after the town he was from. It
was shortened to “O.K.” and this led to the word okay!
He was the first president to be born after the United States was a country.
William Henry Harrison
Harrison gave the longest inauguration speech in history—he talked for two
hours!
He caught pneumonia during his inauguration and died a month later.
John Tyler
Tyler got married on his birthday. He was one of the only three presidents to
marry while in office.
He wasn’t elected president, but he became president when William Henry
Harrison died.
John K. Polk
Polk made 5 promises when he ran for president, and he was able to keep all
of them.
One of his promises was to get California from Mexico, and he did it!
Zachary Taylor
Taylor never lived in one place long enough to register to vote, so he didn’t
vote in an election until he voted for himself!
He was one of six presidents to be born in a log cabin.
Millard Fillmore
Fillmore had a bathtub installed in the White House—there wasn’t one there
before!
He never had a Vice President since he had been the VP for Zachary Taylor
and became president when he died.
Franklin Pierce
Pierce memorized his entire inauguration speech and gave it without even
looking at his notes!
He was the first president to put a Christmas tree in the White House.
James Buchanan
Buchanan was the only president who was never married.
When a prince from England came to visit, he brought so many people that
Buchanan had to sleep in the hallway of the White House!
Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln grew a beard because a little girl wrote him a letter to tell him he
would look better with facial hair!
Before Lincoln was president, he failed as a shopkeeper, businessman, farmer,
and lost elections for several different political offices.
Andrew Johnson
Taught himself everything he knew—he never went to school! Some friends
taught him the alphabet and he taught himself to read from there.
He served in the military during the Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant
Grant once got a speeding ticket for riding his horse and buggy too fast!
Grant made Yellowstone the first national park.
Rutherford B. Hayes
Hayes had the first telephone installed in the White House.
The election for his presidency was very close and the votes from three
different states had to be recounted!
James A. Garfield
Garfield was shot in the back, and doctors were never able to find the bullet.
He died 11 weeks later.
He had a dog named “Veto.”
Chester A. Arthur
Arthur loved fishing for salmon!
He was called “Elegant Arthur” because he was stylish. He had 80 pairs of
pants!
Grover Cleveland
Cleveland had part of his jaw removed because of cancer, but doctors gave
him a rubber jaw in its place.
He was president when the State of Liberty was given to the United States by
France.
Benjamin Harrison
Electric lights were installed when Harrison was president. All previous
presidents had to use candles!
He was the first president to go to a baseball game.
Grover Cleveland
Cleveland was the only president to serve two terms that were not right in a
row.
He was the first president to have a baby while in office. Her name was Ruth,
and Baby Ruth candy bars are named for her!
William McKinley
McKinley volunteered for the Union Army during the Civil War. He was only
a teenager, so one of his jobs was to bring food and coffee to the men on the
battlefields.
He liked to wear a lucky red carnation in the buttonhole of his vest.
Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt once fought a pack of mountain lions because they were attacking
his dogs.
The teddy bear was named after Roosevelt when he refused to shoot a bear
cub on a hunting trip.
William Howard Taft
Taft was very plump. He even got stuck in the White House bathtub!
He became a Supreme Court justice after being president.
Woodrow Wilson
Wilson began his career as a teacher and was even the president of Princeton
University before becoming president.
He didn’t learn the alphabet until he was nine and didn’t learn to read until he
was eleven!
Warren G. Harding
Harding was the first president to ride in a car to his inauguration.
Many people think Harding may have died from being poisoned!
Calvin Coolidge
Coolidge had pet raccoons named Rebecca and Rueben.
Coolidge slept ten hours each night and took a nap every afternoon.
Herbert Hoover
Hoover approved “The Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem.
He did not accept money for being president, choosing to donate his earnings
instead.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Roosevelt was elected to be president for four terms.
His dog once bit the British Prime Minister!
Harry S. Truman
Truman read all of the books in his public library growing up. It had more
than 2,000 books in it!
He kept a pet goat named Dewey’s Goat at the White House.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
His dog was banned from the White House because it went to the bathroom
on the floor of a very important room!
He played football in college until he had to quit the team because he injured
his knee.
John F. Kennedy
Kennedy was a Boy Scout growing up.
He had to wear special shoes because his right leg was longer than his left leg.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Johnson ran away from home when he was 15 and worked as a grape picker.
He became president when JFK was assassinated. He was sworn in as
president on an airplane.
Richard M. Nixon
He wanted to be an FBI agent before becoming president, but they turned him
down.
He was president when man landed on the moon.
Gerald Ford
Ford was a fashion model before becoming a politician.
He was named Leslie Lynch King, Jr. when he was born, but his name was
changed when his mother remarried.
Jimmy Carter
Carter was the first president to be born in a hospital! Others before had been
born at home.
He could read 2,000 words a minute!
Ronald Reagan
Reagan was an actor before he became president.
He kept a jar of jelly beans on his desk during his presidency. Indiana’s
governor, Mitch Daniels, used to work for Reagan, and now he keeps jelly
beans on his desk!
George H. W. Bush
Bush flew in 58 combat missions in World War II.
He hates broccoli and refuses to eat it!
Bill Clinton
Clinton’s pet cat, named Socks, had its own web site!
He was the governor of Arkansas before be became the president.
George W. Bush
Bush’s father, George H.W. Bush, was also the president!
He used to be a part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
Barack Obama
Obama doesn’t like ice cream because he worked at Baskin Robbins in high
school.
He used to be a law professor at a University of Chicago.