50 Interesting Facts about U.S. Presidents

The Presidents of the United States are leaders elected by the people to run the country. They live in the White House in Washington, D.C., and their job is to make important decisions for the nation.

Presidents can serve up to two terms, each lasting four years. They work with Congress to create laws, meet with leaders from other countries, and make sure the country runs smoothly.

Interesting Facts about U.S. Presidents:

1. George Washington, the first President, had false teeth made of ivory and gold.
2. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence.
3. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, led the country during the Civil War and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
4. Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest President, taking office at age 42.
5. Franklin D. Roosevelt served the longest, with four terms in office.
6. John F. Kennedy was the youngest elected President at age 43.
7. James Madison was the shortest President, standing at 5 feet 4 inches tall.
8. William Howard Taft was the heaviest President, weighing over 300 pounds.
9. Harry S. Truman’s middle initial didn’t actually stand for anything.
10. Barack Obama is the first African American President.
11. Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms, making him the 22nd and 24th President.
12. Andrew Jackson was the first President born in a log cabin.
13. Ronald Reagan was a Hollywood actor before becoming President.
14. Jimmy Carter was the first President born in a hospital.
15. George H.W. Bush was a World War II Navy pilot.
16. Richard Nixon was the first President to resign from office.
17. Woodrow Wilson is the only President to have earned a Ph.D.
18. Lyndon B. Johnson had a pet beagle named Him.
19. Bill Clinton played the saxophone on national television.
20. Gerald Ford was a college football star.
21. Dwight D. Eisenhower was a five-star general during World War II.
22. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
23. Herbert Hoover and his wife spoke Mandarin Chinese in the White House to prevent eavesdropping.
24. James Monroe’s presidency was known as the “Era of Good Feelings.”
25. John Quincy Adams was the first President to be photographed.
26. Ulysses S. Grant was given a ticket for riding his horse too fast in Washington, D.C.
27. Warren G. Harding lost White House china in a poker game.
28. William Henry Harrison gave the longest inauguration speech in history and caught a cold that led to his death.
29. Martin Van Buren was the first President born a U.S. citizen; all previous Presidents were born British subjects.
30. Benjamin Harrison was the first President to have electricity in the White House.
31. Millard Fillmore installed the first bathtub in the White House.
32. James Buchanan never married and is the only President to remain a bachelor his entire life.
33. Calvin Coolidge had a pet raccoon named Rebecca who lived in the White House.
34. Chester A. Arthur owned 80 pairs of pants.
35. Rutherford B. Hayes was the first President to use a telephone in the White House.
36. James K. Polk promised to serve only one term and kept his word.
37. William McKinley was the first President to ride in an automobile.
38. Zachary Taylor’s nickname was “Old Rough and Ready.”
39. Franklin Pierce was arrested during his presidency for running over an old woman with his horse, but the charges were dropped.
40. James A. Garfield could write in two languages simultaneously with both hands.
41. John Tyler had 15 children, the most of any President.
42. William Howard Taft was the first President to throw out the first pitch at a baseball game.
43. Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives but acquitted by the Senate.
44. George W. Bush was a part-owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team.
45. George Washington is the only President to have been unanimously elected by the Electoral College.
46. Barack Obama won a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album.
47. Donald Trump was a reality television star before becoming President.
48. Joe Biden is the oldest President to take office at age 78.
49. Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia.
50. Abraham Lincoln is the only President to have obtained a patent, for a device to lift boats over shoals and obstructions in a river.