9 The Youngest, Oldest, Tallest And Shortest US Presidents
Who were the youngest and oldest US presidents?
Most would say John F Kennedy was the youngest. Close but not quite right. Kennedy was 43 years, 7 months, 22 days, and Theodore Roosevelt beat him by nearly a year at 42 years, 10 months, 18 days. The oldest was Ronald Regan at 69 years, 11 months, 14 days. Thats a difference of 26 years, 3 months and 22 days.
What about the tallest and shortest?
The tallest US Presidents were Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon B Johnson who both stood at 193 cm (6ft, 4in). The shortest President was James Madison (pictured) who stood at 163cm (5ft, 4in).
10 Thomas Jefferson Fathered Illegitimate Children To One Of His Slaves
Have you heard the rumor that 3rd US President Jefferson fathered children to one of his slaves? Well it appears to be true. A DNA test done in 1998 using samples from both President Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings descendants proved a match for at least one of the 6 suspected children he fathered to her.
His grandson John Wayles Jefferson, born John Wayles Hemings was the son of Eston Hemings who was Jefferson’s illegitimate son and served as a Colonel in the Union army during the US civil war. He was said to resemble Thomas Jefferson.
11 Lincoln And Darwin Were Born On The Same Day
Two of the most influential people of not only the 19th century, but of all time were actually born on the same day. Former US President Abraham Lincoln, The Great Emancipator, and founder of the theory of evolution and natural selection, Charles Darwin were both born on February 12 1809. They share the same birthday.
Both men were born only hours apart and in completely different surrounds. Lincoln was born in a simple log cabin that is now long gone in Kentucky, while Darwin was born in a comfortable family home that still stands today. The coincidence that two great men who would shape the modern world into what we see today were born on the same day is simply astounding.
12 There Has Only Been One White House Wedding
Only one US President has been married inside the White House. Grover Cleveland was the 2nd President to marry while in office, but was the first to get married inside the White House. On June 2, 1886 he married Frances Folsom in the Blue Room at the White House. Frances remains the youngest First Lady at 21 years old.
13 Chester A Arthur Had Up To 80 Pairs Of Pants
Chester A Arthur had an affair with pants it would seem. He would change pants several times a day and had up to 80 pairs at any one time. But this was all part of who he was. He had an interest in fashionable attire, and liked to dress smartly. In reality he wouldn’t be that out of place with many metrosexuals today.
He was regarded as a fairly relaxed President regularly taking long lunches, arriving late for meetings and having three day weekends.
14 The First President To Live In The White House
The White House hasn’t always been the home of the president, in part because not even Washington DC has been the capital for the entire existence of the US. Before Washington was made the capital Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton and New York all had their time as the seat of government. So when the White House weas finally constructed in the new capital, Washington DC, who was the first president to make the building their home?
It was president John Adams, who was the second president and served only one term in office. He moved into the White House shortly before the end of his term as President.
15 Only One President Has Been Elected To Four Terms As President
Today all US Presidents are restricted to two terms. But not so long ago one man was elected four times. Franklin D. Roosevelt served from March 4, 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945, shortly after his fourth inauguration which was held on the White House lawns.
16 The First Phone In The White House Had The Phone Number 1
You could hardly imagine life today without the magic little smart phones. They provide so much benefit to our daily life that it has become the first thing that many people pick up when leaving the house. But could you imagine life without your phone? Even if it wasn’t a smart phone such as an iPhone or Android and only capable of making and receiving calls? Life would be pretty difficult. So imagine just how hard things must have been for those in the White House who had no phones? But all that changed in 1877 when the first phone was installed in the White House telegraph room.
Although Rutherford B Hayes was elected President by only one electoral college vote he went on to be the first US president to use a phone in the White House, and he embraced the new technology. But although he was an avid fan of the telephone, he had one problem. It was only connected to the only other phone in the building, the Treasury Department So he didn’t get to take many calls during his time in office.
The phone was installed by Alexander Graham Bell himself, and it is said the phone number at the time for the White House was 1. It was another 50 years before a phone was installed in the oval office.
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So after reading these little known fun presidential facts, who do you think was the best president ever? Among most historians and scholars they list Lincoln at 1, Roosevelt at 2 and Washington at 3.
