Monday, February 19, 2007

Happy Presidents' Day

Little known facts for Presidents' Day.

Although President Taft weighed 350 pounds, he never ate more than two pancakes for breakfast.

                          

                                                    TAFT

President Buchanan, the only bachelor president, used to have Under Secretary of State Seward sew buttons on his shirts.  They later became known as Seward's Follies.

Zachary Taylor, 12th president, was youngest of 13 children named in succeeding alphabetical order starting with Nate (Nathaniel) and Olivia.  When they reached the end of the alphabet, his parents decided to stop having children.

Although they were dirt poor during his childhood, Lincoln's family owned a slave named Bill.  Bill used to split rails for the family.  Bill was disgusted when Abe took credit for all the split rails, calling himself the "Rail Splitter", dropped his axe and took off for the free states.  Lincoln hated slavery from that day on, and became a champion for emancipation.

Grover Cleveland, a president who was 22nd and 24th president, used the four years between his terms tatting afghans. He said it relaxed him and steadied his nerves.  The sale of autographed afghans helped finance his run for a second term, which succeeded.

President Franklin Roosevelt installed an indoor swimming pool in the White House.  He and Winston Churchill used to "skinny dip" together. That is how the United States got involved in WWII. Their most important swim was called "HT-day" (Hot Tub Day) when they planned D-day together.

Bill and Hilliary Clinton used to sun bathe in a roof top garden on top of the White House.  Secret Service men used to draw lots to see who would get Solarium Service

William Jennings Bryan ran for president eleven times because he said, "It was fun."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Skinny dipping stopped the war huh?

Anonymous said...

those must have been some big pancakes.  and I think he must have crocheted the afgans because if he really tatted them he would be lucky to get more than one done in his lifetime I think... fun facts indeed.... Sandra

Anonymous said...

Very interesting Chuck. Helen

Anonymous said...

James Madison was six feet tall and wore pants 26 x 34.  He was known a "slim Jim" and a famous sausage maker borrowed that term for the litle sausages that he sold at check out counters at supermarkets everywhere. Madison descendants are suing the sausage maker for damages.

Anonymous said...

Interesting trivia, Chuck!!  Thanks for sharing with us!!  I learned some things!
Jackie