22 Tidbits You Might Not Know about U.S. Presidential History

February 20, 2023 JMORE Staff

In the wake of the 1862 passing of President John Tyler, Abraham Lincoln refused to issue a mourning proclamation or order that flags be flown at half-mast. (Wikimedia Commons)

Think you know a lot about our past and present commanders-in-chief? In honor of Presidents Day, which was observed on Monday, Feb. 20, we offer some quirky, trivial and arguably little-known (and possibly forgettable) historical morsels about the 46 individuals who’ve held the job of being the most powerful person on the planet.

Naked Truth: President Franklin D. Roosevelt once saw British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in the buff.

Known for his gruff manner and combative personality, Andrew Jackson reportedly taught Poll, his pet African Grey parrot, how to cuss. At the 1845 funeral of “Old Hickory” at Jackson’s Nashville residence, The Hermitage, Poll reportedly needed to be removed from the service because she would not stop cursing and disturbing other fellow mourners.

After a seriously ill George H.W. Bush vomited into the lap of Japan’s prime minister Kiichi Miyazawa at a 1992 state banquet in Tokyo, the Japanese coined a special term – Bushusuru – for upchucking in public.

During his presidential tenure (1845-1849), James K. Polk, a staunch Calvinist, forbade dancing, the drinking of liquor and the playing of card games in the White House.

Harry S. Truman once refused to board a Dumbo ride at Disneyland because, as a Democrat, he did not wish to be photographed on an elephant (the symbol of the Republican party).

The first-ever Chanukah party held in the White House was in 2001 during the administration of George W. Bush. The first menorah lighting at the White House was in 1979 during the administration of Jimmy Carter.

Gerald R. Ford’s birth name was Leslie Lynch King Jr. Also, he worked as a professional model for national magazines during his college years in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

During their infamous on-again/off-again friendship, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson once together visited the home of William Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon. As a souvenir, they chipped off a piece of one of the Bard’s chairs during the visit.

Five presidents reportedly played the humble harmonica: Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Ronald Reagan. The latter, in fact, taught himself “Red River Valley” while recovering in the hospital from his 1981 assassination attempt. Other musically inclined presidents were Chester A. Arthur (banjo), Harry S. Truman and Richard M. Nixon (piano), Warren G. Harding (tuba and sousaphone), Thomas Jefferson and John Quincy Adams (flute), and Bill Clinton (saxophone).

In the wake of the 1862 passing of President John Tyler (a particularly disliked commander-in-chief), Abraham Lincoln — well-regarded by many historians for his sense of compassion and forgiveness — did not issue a mourning proclamation and flags were not flown at half-mast.

Barack Obama admits to having a strong aversion to ice cream, largely due to working at a Baskin-Robbins in Honolulu during his teen years. Also, Obama applied (and was declined) to be featured in a pinup calendar for hunky men of color while studying at Harvard.

John Quincy Adams reportedly skinny-dipped in the Potomac River every morning before and during his presidency. One particularly enterprising female reporter named Anne Royall once learned about this daily ritual and sat on his clothes until the sixth U.S. president would agree to an interview. That is believed to be the first time a female journalist interviewed a president.

George Washington was the nation’s first mule breeder. He is believed to be responsible for the creation of a mule stock that benefitted the American South for generations. The first president was also a breeder of hunting dogs.

After failing to be renominated for the presidency by his Democratic party in 1856, Franklin Pierce reportedly said, “There is nothing left to do but get drunk.” (Also, he was once arrested for running over an elderly woman with his horse.)

Joe Biden’s middle name is Robinette (the maiden name of his Maryland-born maternal grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Robinette). The middle name of his predecessor, Donald Trump, is John (although the former president reportedly once joked that his middle name is “Genius.”)

A trained tailor, Andrew Johnson — who has the “distinction” of being the first commander-in-chief ever impeached — made all of his own suits during his presidency.

Sensitive to Light: Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president of the United States, was terrified of touching light switches during his time living in the White House.

During the Civil War, General (and future president) Ulysses S. Grant issued the controversial Gen. Order No. 11, expelling Jews from areas in his military district (Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi). It was shortly thereafter countermanded by President Lincoln. Nonetheless, Grant is considered by most historians to be a good friend of the Jews and a supporter of global Jewish causes.

During his presidency, Rutherford B. Hayes was dubbed “Granny Hayes” by adversaries due to his steadfast refusal to drink, smoke or gamble. (Obviously, he and President Polk would’ve gotten along.)

Benjamin Harrison was the first president to enjoy electricity in the White House. Nonetheless, he was so terrified of being electrocuted that he went to sleep with all of the lights on at night and refused to touch any light switches.

Always a dandy, Chester A. Arthur earned the nickname “Elegant Arthur” because he owned 80 different pairs of slacks.

During the administration of William Howard Taft, toy manufacturers created a stuffed animal bearing the 27th president’s likeness called “Billy Possum.” The choice of animal spirit was due to Taft (remembered as the largest-ever president) reportedly devouring a large possum for dinner in one sitting.

Calvin Coolidge kept a pair of pet racoons named Rebecca and Reuben in the White House during his administration. “Silent Cal” also maintained a daily morning ritual of having petroleum jelly rubbed on his head while he ate breakfast, for supposed health reasons.

Franklin D. Roosevelt once saw Winston Churchill buck-naked, while the British leader was lodging at the White House during the holiday season of 1941-1942, during the early days of America’s entry into World War II. Roosevelt, reportedly excited to tell Churchill about a turn-of-phase for a planned speech, burst into the guest quarters while “the British Bulldog” was taking a bath. One story goes that the unflappable Churchill shook off the incident by saying, “The prime minister of Great Britain has nothing to hide from the president of the United States!”

Culled from various websites, news agencies and information sources