Here are some fun facts for President’s Week!
Click on the blue underlined words for more info on the fun fact!
- At his inauguration, George Washington only had one tooth. Contrary to popular belief, he never wore false wooden teeth. However, at various times he did wear dentures made of human teeth, animal teeth, ivory and lead.
- Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the only two presidents to sign the Declaration of Independence. They also both died on the same day—July 4, 1826—the 50th anniversary of the signing.
- At 5 feet 4 inches, James Madison was the shortest president.
- Before he was president, Andrew Jackson was wounded in a duel at the age of 39. The bullet remained lodged in his heart until the day he died.
- Zachary Taylor let his old Army horse, Whitey, graze on the White House lawn. Visitors took horse hairs as souvenirs.
- James Buchanan is the only president to remain a bachelor his entire life.
- While he was president, Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for riding his horse too fast and fined $20.
- James K. Polk’s wife did not allow card playing, dancing, or drinking in the White House.
- James A. Garfield could write with both hands. To entertain people he would write in Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.
- Benjamin Harrison was terrified of electric lights. He would ask White House staff to turn them on and off for him.
- Rutherford B. Hayes was the first U.S. president to use a phone at the White House. Alexander Graham Bell personally showed him how to use it and his phone number was 1.
- Calvin Coolidge liked having his head massaged with Vaseline during breakfast in bed. He also rode his own mechanical bull and played “ding-dong ditch’em”—he would ring the White House doorbell and then run and hide.
- Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, was present at the assassinations of three presidents: his father’s, President Garfield’s and President McKinley’s.
- All presidents receive code names from the Secret Service. Ronald Reagan was “Rawhide,” George H. W. Bush was “Timberwolf,” Bill Clinton was “Eagle,” George W. Bush was “Trailblazer” and Barack Obama is “Renegade.”
- Abraham Lincoln was a licensed bartender. He was co-owner of Berry and Lincoln, a saloon in Springfield, IL.
Mid winter is a great time for crafts and for board games. Pull out the games the children received for their holiday gifts and play them together. Gather the craft supplies and get creative! Dreaming of spring? How about coloring or painting some pictures of with the kids of spring flowers? Decorate the room with the colorful pictures! It might be cold outside, but inside the flowers are blooming on the walls! Enjoy!!