Since we are heavily bombarded with our current presidential hopefuls, I thought it would be fun to look back at our past presidents and find some fun facts and even some facts that are a bit scandalous about them.
Did you know....
George Washington made rye whiskey, apple brandy and peach brandy in his Mount Vernon distillery? Makes you wonder if they had Happy Hour back then?
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were close friends, but had a bit of a friendly rivalry with one another. They both passed away on July 4, 1826. John Adams' dying words were "Thomas Jefferson survi ves" because he was unaware that Thomas Jefferson had died hours earlier.
John Adams would skip school to go fishing and hunting !
Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia on land that had belonged to James Madison.
Princeton's first graduate was James Madison. He earned his undergraduate degree in 2 years.
Andrew Jackson taught his parrot to curse. The parrot had to be removed from the funeral services because it would stop swearing.
John Quincy Adams was a skinny dipper! He would swim in the Potomac River in the mornings.
William Henry Harrison had a pet Billy Goat.
John Tyler had 15 children! WHEW!
Millard Fillmore married his TEACHER!
James Buchanan was the only bachelor in office. He remained a bachelor all of his life.
Franklin Pierce was arrested for running over a woman with his horse. Charges were eventually dropped from a lack of evidence. Hmmm..... remind you of any other scandals?
Abraham Lincoln enjoyed getting in a wrestling ring! He enjoyed it so much, he only lost once in approximately 300 matches. He's even in the wrestling hall of fame.
Andrew Johnson was a tailor and made his own suits, even while in office. He was also DRUNK during his inauguration.
Ulysses S Grant go a $20 speeding ticket while riding his horse too fast on a Washington Street.
Rutherford B Hayes banned alcohol from the White House in order to try to get support from the anit-alcohol prohibitionists.
James Garfield was ambidextrous--- he could write with both hands. It's even said he could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other hand AT THE SAME TIME. Now THAT's what I call talent!
Benjamin Harrison was the first president to have electricity in the White House. However, he was so scared of being electrocuted, he refused to touch any of the light switches.
William McKinley was the first president to campaign by using a telephone.
Teddy Roosevelt was shot in the chest during a speech, but continued on and completed his 90 minute speech with the bullet lodged in his chest.
He got himself stuck in the bathtub and had to call his aids to help him out. He was the largest President in American history.... William Taft. He also served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme court after his presidency.
Who's face is on the $100,000 bill? Woodrow Wilson. He is also known for having lost the White House China in a POKER GAME.
Warren Harding was married to a Cougar AND a Divorcee with a child.
Joker or Jerk? Calvin Coolidge would ring all the bells at once in the Oval office and then hide just to see what staff would run in to see what he needed. Cooidge just wanted to see who was working.
Herbert Hoover's son had 2 pet alligators that would roam the White House hallways on occassion.
Franklin D Roosevelt married his 5th cousin and the neice of Teddy Roosevelt... Eleanor.
Harry Truman's parents couldn't decide on a middle name so they decided to just give him the letter S in honor of his 2 grandfathers.
Gerald Ford worked as a fashion model and was on the cover of Cosmopolitan
George W. Bush was captain of the cheerleading team his senior year.
Can you imagine what we would know about them if they were living in today's world of technology?