James Madison
James Madison was the shortest President at 5'4". He probably weighed less than 100lbs, and was sickly throughout his life.
John Adams
John Adams was the first President to live in the White House.
James Monroe
James Monroe often clashed with his Secretary of State, William Crawford. In one quarrel, Crawford went to strike the President. Monroe responded by raising a set of fireplace tongs and ordering Crawford out. Crawford apologized for his behavior and the two shook hands.
George Washington and James Madison
George Washington and James Madison were the only two Presidents who signed the Constitution. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson did not attend the Constitutional Convention, as they were each serving in Europe during the summer of 1787.
James Buchanan
James Buchanan was the only President never to marry.
Abraham Lincoln
Young lawyer Abraham Lincoln argued a case before the Supreme Court. He lost.
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson did not have any formal schooling. He taught himself to read as a young man, and later in life was tutored by his wife Eliza. She taught him to write, helped him learn arithmetic, and improved his reading and spelling.
Rutherford B. Hayes
After leaving office, Rutherford B. Hayes became director of two foundations which promoted education for African Americans. He personally awarded a scholarship to W. E. B. DuBois.
James A. Garfield
James A. Garfield was the second President to be assassinated. (Lincoln was the first.) He was shot in the back by a former supporter who had been stalking him for weeks, unhappy at being turned down for a diplomatic post. Garfield received two gunshot wounds, but died of blood poisoning that resulted from surgery with un-sterilized equipment.
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland was the sixth cousin once removed of President Ulysses S. Grant.
William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft was the only President who also served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He much preferred serving as Chief Justice.
Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge is often known as "Silent Cal," a nickname future President Ronald Reagan commented on. Reagan said, "You hear...jokes about ‘Silent Cal' Coolidge. The joke is on the people who make the jokes. Look at his record. He cut taxes four times. We had probably the greatest growth and prosperity that we've ever known."
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson's first job was as an elementary school teacher.
Lyndon B. Johnson
As President, Lyndon B. Johnson had surgery to remove his gall bladder. Some were concerned that he was more ill than he was letting on. In an effort to demonstrate that he was healthy, Johnson raised his shirt to show reporters and photographers his scar. His critics were appalled.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan was the only professional actor to ever become President. Also a former radio broadcaster, he was known as the "Great Communicator" for the way he put his speaking skills to use.
George H. W. Bush
Before being elected President, George H. W. Bush served as a member of the House of Representatives, was United Nations Ambassador, Envoy to China, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency under Gerald Ford, as well as Vice President under Ronald Reagan.
George H.W. Bush
George H.W. Bush was a naval pilot during WWII. He flew fifty-eight combat missions, was shot down over the Pacific, and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush is the son of George H. W. Bush and the second son of a President to be elected President. The first was John Quincy Adams, son of John Adams.
George Washington 1
George Washington was the only President in US history who did not officially represent a political party.
George Washington 2
George Washington was known as a good dancer and an excellent rider. He owned many sets of dentures, but none were made out of wood.
John Quincy Adams 1
John Quincy Adams's mother, Abigail Adams, is famous for telling her husband John Adams to "remember the ladies" in framing the US government. John Quincy was also concerned with the lives of women. He wrote in 1838, "Why does it follow that women are fitted for nothing but the cares of domestic life?....The mere departure of a woman from the duties of the domestic circle, far from being a reproach to her, is a virtue of the highest order when it is done from purity of motive, by appropriate means, and the purpose good."
John Quincy Adams 2
By age ten, John Quincy Adams traveled frequently to Europe on diplomatic missions with his father, John Adams.
Theodore Roosevelt 1
Theodore Roosevelt had asthma and was sickly as a child. He wanted to overcome his physical limits and took on boxing, rowing, and many other challenging activities.
Theodore Roosevelt 2
Theodore Roosevelt's six children lived with him in the White House.
Theodore Roosevelt 3
Less than a year after taking office, Theodore Roosevelt showed a willingness to follow the dictates of his own conscience, even if his choices were unpopular. He invited Booker T. Washington, an African American advocate for equal rights, to visit him at the White House.
Woodrow Wilson 1
Woodrow Wilson earned a law degree from the University of Virginia Law School and his doctorate in history from Johns Hopkins. He taught at Bryn Mawr College, Wesleyan University, and Princeton University. In 1902, he became President of Princeton.
Woodrow Wilson 2
Woodrow Wilson had a self-deprecating sense of humor. He once wrote a limerick about his physical appearance: "For beauty I am not a star / There are others more handsome by far / But my face I don't mind it / For I am behind it / It's the people in front that I jar."
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford is the only President to assume the office never having won a national election for President or Vice President.
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter was the first person from the deep South elected President since Zachary Taylor in 1848.
