Odd presidential facts
This president preferred pet songbirds to first felines and presidential pooches. He collected and trained many specimens of mimus polyglottos on his Virginia estate, but his favorite was "Dick." Thomas Jefferson grizzly bear cubs, Thomas Jefferson + moose skeleton to France
Pint-sized president- Shortest president
"The Last of the Cocked Hats"- A curious nickname
The president got the nickname, "The Last of the Cocked Hats," because he was the last president with Revolutionary credentials. Bicorne hat, James Monroe + bullet never removed from shoulder
Skinny dipper-in-chief- President + swimming nude
He loved collecting his thoughts with early morning nude swims in a nearby river. John Quincy Adams, Anne Royall + John Quincy Adams + nude swimming interview, John Quincy Adams + read the Bible each year
A foul feathered friend- President + pet parrot
This president trained his pet parrot, Poll, to be such a potty-mouth that the bird had to be removed from its master's funeral proceedings. Andrew Jackson, Andrew Jackson + several duels, Andrew Jackson + Charles Dickinson, Andrew Jackson + Rachel Donelson + bigamy
An OK guy- Origin and meaning of O.K.
He often gets credit for originating the term "OK," thanks to a nickname associated with him and his hometown. Old Kinderhook, Kinderhook, New York, Zachary Taylor
The solo leader- Presidential horse
He is the only elected president to remain a bachelor. James Buchanan ++James Buchanan + fiancee Ann Caroline Coleman, James Buchanan + live-in companion + William Rufus DeVane King, Miss Fancy and Aunt Nancy + Buchanan
A different kind of leftist- Bachelor president
Legend has it that he was the first southpaw president and could simultaneously write a dead language with one hand and Greek with the other. James Garfield + Charles J. Guiteau + assassination , Charles J. Guiteau + mentally disturbed
The big boss- Left-handed president
He was large and in charge, weighing in at more than 300 pounds and earning a reputation as the heaviest president. Taft stuck in bathtub, William Howard Taft "Big Bill", William Howard Taft + salted almonds
President on the mound- Heaviest U.S. president
He was the first sitting president to attend the World Series 1915 World Series Phillies v. Red Sox and he threw out the first pitch World Series + Major League Baseball. Woodrow Wilson + Princeton University, +Woodrow Wilson + two raw eggs in fruit juice
A scandal magnet- First president at World Series
Despite his "normal" campaign promises, this president appointed the first Cabinet member to be imprisoned and was scandalized by rumors of gambling and multiple extra-marital affairs. Carrie Fulton Phillips, Harding + gambled away White House china, Warren Harding + worst president, "I am not fit for this office and should never have been here." Harding
A hands-on kind of guy- Most scandalous president
Rumor has it that he liked to have morning scalp massages at breakfast Vaseline. Calvin Coolidge + July 4, 1872, Calvin Coolidge + only president sworn in by father
The middle man- President who liked Vaseline rubs
His middle initial doesn't stand for anything at all; it was given to him in honor of his two grandfathers. Harry Truman + no college degree, +Harry Truman + haberdashery
A pin-up president- Presidential middle names
This president was a dashing cover model for a 1942 issue of a long-running women's magazine Cosmopolitan magazine. President Gerald Ford Cosmopolitan magazine, +two women attempted to kill Gerald Ford
A serious bibliophile- Speed-reading president
It's been said that he read three to four books a week, thanks to a speed-reading course Evelyn Wood speed reading he took at the White House. Jimmy Carter, Jimmy Carter autobiography, James Carter + sold boiled peanuts on the street , James Carter + "Cousin Hot" + nickname
