A Few Quirky Facts

George Washington had numerous sets of dentures, including a pair made out of hippopotamus bone. He never had wooden teeth though, that is just a myth.

Thomas Jefferson had a very populist, “common man” view of the presidency. He thought that his predecessors had acted too much like royalty and wanted to remove any pretentions from the office. He would horrify foreign dignitaries by greeting them in his pajamas.  

James Monroe was the last president who was part of the Revolutionary War era. He still liked to dress in late 18th century attire when he was president from 1817 to 1825.

Many people found this bizarre.

It would be like Barack Obama wearing a 1970’s afro. 

 

John Quincy Adams enjoyed skinny-dipping in the Potomac .

John Tyler had 19 children by two different wives. After his first wife died, he married a 24 year old woman named Julia Tyler (nee Gardner ) who was younger than his eldest daughter. Not surprisingly, relations between Tyler and his daughters were strained after that. Also, Tyler ’s own son had previously dated Julia. Awkward.

James K Polk hated shaking hands.   

James Buchanan was the only president who was a lifelong bachelor.

Andrew Johnson was the first president to be impeached. He came within one vote of being removed from office.

Ulysses S Grant was extremely squeamish about blood. That’s right – one of the most famous war generals in American history had a weak stomach.

Rutherford Hayes and his wife Lucy hated alcohol so much that they banned all types of alcoholic beverages from the White House. They horrified visiting foreign dignitaries by serving them water. The first lady was named “Lemonade Lucy”.

William Howard Taft was so large that he became stuck in the White House bathtub. (330 pounds) 

Harry Truman was notoriously hot-tempered. He once sent hate mail to a music critic who had bashed his daughter (a wannabe singer) in a column.

Presidential Quotes

 

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we.
They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country
or our people, and neither do we.” – George W Bush

 “This fellow they've nominated claims he's the new Thomas Jefferson. Well, let me tell you something - I knew Thomas Jefferson.He was a friend of mine, and governor... you're no Thomas Jefferson!”

Ronald Reagan, talking about Bill Clinton in 1992.  

“Trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.”– Ronald Reagan

 “I wish to see this beverage become common instead of the whiskey which kills one-third of our citizens and ruins their families.” – Thomas Jefferson, talking about beer.

“Labor disgraces no man. Unfortunately, you occasionally find men disgrace labor.”
- Ulysses Grant

“Being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There's nothing to do but to stand there and take it.” - Lyndon Johnson  

“When a great many people are unable to find work, unemployment results. “ – Calvin Coolidge

Gentlemen, I can run the country or I can control Alice . I cannot do both.” - Theodore Roosevelt, talking about his feisty daughter Alice.

“It’s true hard work never killed anybody, but I figure, why take the chance?” – Ronald Reagan   

“I am not fit for this office and should never have been here.” Warren G Harding (most historians agree with him)

“There is nothing left to do but get drunk” – Franklin Pierce, after learning he was not
going to be nominated for re-election.

“No man who ever held the office of president would congratulate a friend on obtaining it.” – John Adams

“You lose.” - Calvin Coolidge, when a woman told him she had made a bet that she could get him to say more than two words.

“Be yourself. That proved to be the worst advice I could possibly have. And I’m going to be myself. Do it that way.” - George HW Bush’s incoherent response to an awkward question about how his administration would be different from Ronald Reagan’s.  

“There’s an old saying in Tennessee – I know it’s in Texas , probably in Tennessee – that says, fool me once, shame on – shame on you. Fool me – you can’t get fooled again.” – George W Bush   

It depends on what the meaning of the world ‘is’ is.” – Bill Clinton

“I know that the human being and fish can co-exist peacefully!” – George W Bush

Common-looking people are the best in the world - that is why the Lord makes so many of them." - Abraham Lincoln

“I’ve now been in 57 states, one left to go.” - Barack Obama