The White House is a big place with plenty of room for animals of all kinds. Here are the top 10 strangest pets to wander the halls of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
1. Pygmy hippo: Calvin Coolidge, 30th president
2. Alligator: John Quincy Adams, 6th president
3. Elephant: James Buchanan, 15th president
4. Zebra: Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president
5. Antelope: Calvin Coolidge, 30th president
6. Bears: Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president; Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president; Calvin Coolidge, 30th president
7. Coyote: Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president
8. Hyena: Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president
9. Tigers/lions: Martin Van Buren, 8th president; Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president; Calvin Coolidge, 30th president
10. Wallaby: Calvin Coolidge, 30th president
President Chester Arthur was the only Commander-in-Chief to never own a pet.
A museum dedicated to presidential pets operates just outside Washington, D.C. Featured are artifacts, prints and memorabilia of our nation's first pets.
Weird Presidential Facts
President Garfield could write in Latin with one hand and in Greek with the other... simultaneously!
Thomas Jefferson invented the coat hanger, the hideaway bed, the calendar clock and the dumbwaiter.
Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the Declaration of Independence criticized the institution of slavery. This original draft was also written on hemp paper.
President James Buchanan was the only bachelor to occupy the Oval Office. His niece, Harriet Lane, played the role of First Lady.
President Washington was the wealthiest man in American at the time of his election as President, but he had to borrow money to attend his inauguration. His enormous wealth was attributed the vast property that he owned which produced almost no cash flow.
John Tyler, who was President from 1841 to 1845, joined the Confederacy twenty years later and became the only President named a sworn enemy of the United States.
President Andrew Jackson believed the world was flat and FDR was so superstitious, that he would never leave town on a Friday and never sit at a table with 13 people.
The "Zero Factor" and Tecumseh's Curse
Some folks believe that the curse of Indian chief Tecumseh has killed every U.S. President before the end of their term in office, if they were elected in a year that ended with 0. The first victim of the curse was William Henry Harrison, whose troops killed the Indian chief in 1813.
Harrison, elected in 1840, died of pneumonia after serving 31 days in office.
Lincoln, elected in 1860, assassinated.
Garfield, elected in 1880, assassinated.
McKinley, elected to a second term in 1900, assassinated.
Harding, elected in 1920, died of a stroke in 1923.
Roosevelt, elected to a third term in 1940, died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1945.
Kennedy, elected in 1960, assassinated.
Reagan, elected in 1980, survived an attempted assassination. (Is the curse finally broken? We'll find out sometime in the next decade!)
Who Knew? U.S. Presidential Trivia
John Roach
for National Geographic News
August 27, 2004
Just 11 weeks remain in the race for the White House. Thousands of Republican Party faithful will gather in New York City next week to nominate George W. Bush as their candidate for a second term as U.S. President. Last month Democrats anointed Massachusetts Senator John Kerry as their party's choice to lead the country. Ralph Nader, meanwhile, leads the list of independent and third-party candidates who are seeking the nation's top political job.
Getting into the campaign spirit, National Geographic News compiled the following presidential trivia:
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How They Measured Up
The smallest President was James Madison (Presidential term 1809-17). The fourth President, Madison stood 5 feet, 4 inches (163 centimeters) tall and weighed less than 100 pounds (45 kilograms).
The tallest President was Abraham Lincoln (1861-65). He stood 6 feet, 4 inches (193 centimeters) tall.
The heaviest President was William Howard Taft (1909-13), who sometimes tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms) during his tenure. After he became stuck in the White House bathtub, Taft ordered a new one installed. The replacement was big enough to hold four grown men of average size.
The oldest President ever elected was Ronald Reagan (1981-89). The 40th President took office at the age of 69.
The youngest elected President was John F. Kennedy (1961-63), who reached the White House at 43. But the youngest President to ever serve was Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09), who was elected Vice President on a ticket with President William McKinley. In September 1901 a deranged anarchist shot McKinley twice in Buffalo, New York, and Roosevelt assumed the top office at 42.
At Play
Benjamin Harrison (1889-93), the 23nd President, was the first President to attend a baseball game. He saw the Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Senators 7 to 4 on June 6, 1892.
William Taft started the tradition of the Presidential "first pitch" of baseball season. The event took place on April 4, 1910, during an opening day game between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics.
Since Taft's first pitch, every President but one has opened at least one baseball season during their tenure. The exception: Jimmy Carter (1977-1981).
John Quincy Adams (1825-29), the sixth President, customarily took a nude early morning swim in the Potomac River.
George Washington (1789-1797), Thomas Jefferson (1801-09), and John Adams (1797-1801) were all avid collectors and players of marbles.
Assassination and Death
Four sitting Presidents have been assassinated while in office: Abraham Lincoln, James Abram Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1897-1901), and John F. Kennedy (1961-63).
Six other Presidents were luckier and survived their assassination attempts: Andrew Jackson (1829-37), Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09), Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45), Harry Truman (1945-53), Gerald Ford (1974-77), and Ronald Reagan (1981-89).
Other Presidents have died while in office:
• William Henry Harrison (1841), the ninth President, died of pneumonia one month to the day after making—in the snow—the longest U.S. presidential inauguration speech on record.
• Zachary Taylor (1849-50), the 12th President, died in 1850 of an inflamed stomach and intestines just 16 months after he took office.
• Warren Harding (1921-23), who presided over a scandal-plagued administration, died suddenly on August 2, 1923. Medical records suggest Harding battled high blood pressure and died of a heart attack. But rumors at the time claimed Harding either took his own life or was poisoned by his wife, who sought to end Harding's notorious philandering.
• John Adams (1797-1801), the second President, and Thomas Jefferson (1801-09), the third President, both died on July 4, 1826. Calvin Coolidge (1923-29), the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872.
Geography
The first President born a U.S. citizen was Martin Van Buren (1837-41). Van Buren was delivered on December 5, 1782, making him the first President born after the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Virginia is the birthplace of the greatest number of Presidents. It boasts eight. Thirty-one states have never claimed a native son as President.
Teddy Roosevelt was the first President to travel abroad while in office; he visited the Panama Canal in 1906.
In 1943 Franklin Roosevelt made the first Presidential flight.
Richard Nixon was the first President to visit all 50 states.
Bill Clinton set a record for the most trips abroad: 133.
Elections and Politics
George W. Bush, the 43rd and current President, lost the popular vote to Al Gore in 2000. Bush is the fourth President to attain the highest office in the U.S. without the backing of the majority of the people. He shares the distinction with John Quincy Adams, Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-81), and Benjamin Harrison.
James Monroe (1817-25), the fifth President, received every Electoral College vote except one. The holdout: a New Hampshire delegate who wanted to preserve the legacy of George Washington, the first and only President elected unanimously by the Electoral College.
Gerald Ford (1974-77) was the only President to serve who was not elected by U.S. voters either as President or Vice President. In 1973 then-President Richard Nixon (1969-74) appointed Ford Vice President after former Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. When Nixon resigned from the White House on August 9, 1974 (the only President to do so), Ford became President.
Bill Clinton (1993-2001), the 42nd President, was the second President to be impeached. In 1998 Clinton was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives but acquitted by the Senate. Andrew Johnson was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1868, but he was also later acquitted by the Senate.
George W. Bush is the second President to follow in the footsteps of his father. George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st President. John Quincy Adams (1825-29), the sixth President, was the son of John Adams (1797-1801), the second President.
Hail to the Bizarre – Weird Presidential Trivia
by Dondra Vaughn | Sunday, February 1st, 2009 | From: Farmers' Almanac Blog
In honor of Presidents Day, we thought we would share some of the lesser-known bizarre and intriguing factoids about our elected presidential leaders. We think you will agree, truth is indeed stranger than fiction!
John Adams – Adams and his family wandered aimlessly in the woods for hours before finally finding their way to their new home at the White House.
Thomas Jefferson – Writing his own epitaph, Jefferson did not even mention his stint as president.
James Madison – Weighing in at a lean 100 pounds, this 5 foot 4 inch tall president was the country’s shortest president.
William Howard Taft – Weighing over 300 pounds, Taft holds the undesirable distinction of being the heaviest U.S. president. Embarrassingly, Taft once got stuck in the White House bathtub. To avoid a repeat of the awkward fiasco, a new tub – four times the normal size – was installed.
William Henry Harrison – This long-winded politician gave the longest inaugural address in history while standing in inclement weather without an overcoat or hat. He died of pneumonia a month later.
Millard Fillmore – Fillmore and his cabinet members helped fight the Library of Congress fire.
James Buchanan – When the Prince of Wales visited the White House with his oversized entourage, Buchanan was forced to sleep in the hallway.
Grover Cleveland – Cleveland was known for personally answering incoming phone calls to the White House.
Woodrow Wilson – Sheep were raised for wool on the White House lawn during Wilson’s term.
Warren G. Harding – Harding wins the prize for the biggest presidential feet – he wore size 14 shoes.
Calvin Coolidge – Coolidge refused to use the telephone during his presidential term.
Herbert Hoover – Hoover donated his salary to charity.
Harry S. Truman – This musical president rose before dawn each day for two hours of piano practice.
Gerald Ford – Previous jobs held by Ford include working as a fashion model and a Yellowstone park ranger.
Jimmy Carter – An accomplished speed reader, Carter was clocked at reading 2,000 words per minute.
Barack Obama – Known as “O’Bomber” during his high school basketball days, Obama collects Spiderman and Conan the Barbarian comic books.
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