Ohio: 7 

Ohio produced seven presidents, all born between 1822 and 1865. Unlike Virginia, the Buckeye State wasn’t a colonial powerhouse — it wasn’t even one of the original 13 colonies. Ohio rose to prominence, along with its political leaders, during a boom in population and industry following the Civil War. The presidents it produced — including Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley — all served during the war, and this military experience likely made them more attractive candidates. (Ohio sometimes claims eight presidents by counting William Henry Harrison, who was born in Virginia but lived in Ohio when elected.)

- Ulysses S. Grant (born 1822)
- Rutherford B. Hayes (1822)
- James A. Garfield (1831)
- Benjamin Harrison (1833)
- William McKinley (1843)
- William Howard Taft (1857)
- Warren G. Harding (1865)

New York: 5 

New York’s influence came from being the nation’s economic and cultural center for much of the 19th and 20th centuries. The population of New York City, in particular, skyrocketed between 1781 and 1800, and it quickly became America’s largest city. The state’s wealth, population, and political power thus made it a natural breeding ground for presidential candidates. Both Roosevelts to ascend to the Oval Office — two of the most influential leaders in U.S. history — came from prominent New York families and used the state as their political base.

- Martin Van Buren (born 1782)
- Millard Fillmore (1800)
- Theodore Roosevelt (1858)
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882)
- Donald Trump (1946)

Massachusetts: 4 

Massachusetts was at the forefront of the American Revolution, positioning early figures such as John Adams — a key architect of American independence — for national leadership. Later, John Adams’ son, John Quincy Adams, became the first president whose father had also held the office. (George W. Bush, who, unlike his Massachusetts-native father, was born in Connecticut, later became the second.) The Bay State’s concentration of educational institutions, wealth, and historical significance in America’s founding has long given it a prominent role in U.S. politics. 

- John Adams (born 1735)
- John Quincy Adams (1767)
- John F. Kennedy (1917)
- George H.W. Bush (1924)

North Carolina: 2 

North Carolina was still developing as a frontier state when its two future presidents were born. Interestingly, both of them — James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson — moved to Tennessee early in life. 

- James K. Polk (born 1795)
- Andrew Johnson (1808)

Texas: 2 

Due to its frontier character and its relatively late admission to the nation (1845), Texas was a late bloomer in terms of presidential production compared to eastern states. It did eventually produce two presidents, though. Dwight D. Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, though he grew up in Kansas and is more closely associated with that state, which is home to his presidential library and museum. Lyndon B. Johnson was thoroughly Texan, building his political career in the state and serving as Senate majority leader before becoming vice president and then president after John F. Kennedy’s assassination. 

- Dwight D. Eisenhower (born 1890)
- Lyndon B. Johnson (1908)

Vermont: 2 

Because of its small population, Vermont hasn’t often played a prominent role in presidential politics. So it’s quite impressive that America’s second-least-populated state has managed to produce two presidents. Vermont was the birthplace of Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge, both of whom came from rural backgrounds. Arthur was born in Fairfield and later built his political career in New York, while Coolidge, born in Plymouth Notch, maintained closer ties to Vermont despite making his political career in Massachusetts. 

- Chester A. Arthur (born 1829)
- Calvin Coolidge (1872)

Pennsylvania: 2 

In December 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state (after Delaware) to ratify the U.S. Constitution. It has since produced two presidents. James Buchanan, the 15th president, was born in Franklin County. He is often considered one of the worst U.S. presidents ever, largely due to his failure to avert the Civil War. Joe Biden was born in Scranton but built his political career in Delaware, where he served as a senator for 36 years before becoming vice president and then president. 

- James Buchanan (born 1791)
- Joe Biden (1942)

States With 1 President 

Thirteen states have been the birthplace of exactly one U.S. president:

- Arkansas: Bill Clinton (born 1946)
- California: Richard Nixon (1913)
- Connecticut: George W. Bush (1946)
- Georgia: Jimmy Carter (1924)
- Hawaii: Barack Obama (1961)
- Illinois: Ronald Reagan (1911)
- Iowa: Herbert Hoover (1874)
- Kentucky: Abraham Lincoln (1809)
- Missouri: Harry S. Truman (1884)
- Nebraska: Gerald Ford (1913)
- New Hampshire: Franklin Pierce (1804)
- New Jersey: Grover Cleveland (1837)
- South Carolina (birth location disputed with North Carolina): Andrew Jackson (1767)

Myth: William Howard Taft Got Stuck in a White House Bathtub

The average person might not know much about William Howard Taft, but they may have heard the bathtub story. According to the popular tale, the 300-plus-pound president became wedged in a White House bathtub and required six men to extract him. It’s quite an image, but there’s no credible historical evidence that it ever happened. However, Taft was very much aware of his size and had oversized bathtubs — one of which weighed a ton — installed in the White House. These supersized tubs may have inspired the myth of Taft getting stuck in a regular-sized bathtub, a fabrication that may have been propagated by his political rivals. 

Myth: Abraham Lincoln Wrote the Gettysburg Address on the Train

The Gettysburg Address is widely considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. It’s also attached to a persistent myth: that Abraham Lincoln hastily scribbled the immortal address on the back of an envelope while on a train to Pennsylvania. This is entirely fictional. Lincoln actually started working on his speech not long after the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in July 1863 — a few months before he gave the address on November 19. He prepared multiple drafts, five copies of which still exist — and none displays the shaky handwriting that would have been inevitable if the speech were written on the jolting, bumpy trains of the day. 

Myth: Theodore Roosevelt Rode a Bull Moose

In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt launched a presidential campaign as the candidate of the Progressive Party. During the campaign, Roosevelt famously declared he felt “strong as a bull moose,” after which the party was popularly referred to as the Bull Moose Party. From there, a very specific embellishment arose: that Roosevelt actually rode a bull moose during the campaign. But this never happened. 

The blame for the myth lies squarely with a fake newspaper image created in 1912. Two months before the election, the New York Tribune published a set of humorous pictures under the headline “The Race for the White House.” Created by the photographic firm Underwood and Underwood, the three images showed each presidential candidate astride the animal associated with his party: William Howard Taft riding an elephant, Woodrow Wilson sitting on a donkey, and Roosevelt sitting proudly on a bull moose. A closer look at any one of the photos provides plenty of evidence of fakery — but the images were nonetheless out in the public domain, and Roosevelt’s mythical ride on a bull moose made its way into the popular consciousness. 

Myth: George Washington Cut Down His Father’s Cherry Tree

Apart from his mythical wooden teeth, George Washington is well known for cutting down his father’s prized cherry tree when he was a child. “I cannot tell a lie … I did cut it with my hatchet,” young George is said to have confessed, demonstrating his innate honesty. The story has been told to generations of American schoolchildren as an example of integrity and truthfulness — but it never happened. 

The tale was completely invented by Mason Locke Weems, one of Washington’s first biographers, and published in The Life of Washington in 1800, shortly after the president’s death. Weems was just as interested in creating an inspiring moral fable as he was in documenting historical fact. Ironically, his cherry tree story, invented to celebrate Washington’s honesty, became one of presidential history’s most enduring lies.

Myth: William Henry Harrison Died From Pneumonia After His Long Inaugural Speech

On March 4, 1841, William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural address in history — an 8,460-word speech that took nearly two hours to deliver. Unfortunately for Harrison, he had to deliver the epic address in cold, wet weather without a coat, and he died of pneumonia exactly one month later. That, at least, is the story we’re often told regarding the fate of America’s ninth president. The only problem? The speech is almost certainly not what killed him. 

Modern medical historians who have examined the evidence believe Harrison likely died from enteric fever, not from pneumonia as a result of cold conditions at his inauguration. The true culprit was probably Washington, D.C.’s inadequate sewer system at the time, and the White House’s close proximity to a marsh full of human waste — a breeding ground for disease. 

Myth: John F. Kennedy Accidentally Called Himself a Jelly Doughnut

American presidents say a lot of weird stuff, but it’s not every day that they solemnly declare, in front of thousands of Germans and an eagerly watching world, “I am a jelly-filled doughnut.” It’s a common myth, however, that John F. Kennedy did exactly that. In his famous 1963 speech in Berlin, JFK declared “Ich bin ein Berliner” (German for “I am a Berliner”) in solidarity with West Berlin. 

But here’s where things get weird. Rumors later began to circulate in the U.S. that Kennedy had made a grammatical error resulting in him referring to himself not as a citizen of Berlin but rather as a German confection similar to a jelly doughnut, known in certain parts of the country as a Berliner. Delightful as that gaffe may be, the truth is that every German watching Kennedy’s address would have understood perfectly well what the president was referring to. The crowd knew Kennedy was expressing solidarity, not declaring himself a pastry. Of course, the myth stuck anyway — proving just how stubborn these tales can be. 

Franklin Pierce

Popular and outgoing, Franklin Pierce far preferred playing outdoors and socializing to hitting the books as a child. Such lax personal discipline proved problematic after "Handsome Frank," as the future president was known, enrolled at Bowdoin College. Left to his own accord, Pierce frequently snuck out to a local tavern, skipped study sessions, and spent his free time fishing, until learning after two years that he ranked dead last academically in his class. To his credit, Pierce took the news as a wake-up call, and he improved his work habits and performance enough to finish fifth among the 14 graduating students in 1824.

James Buchanan

The oldest son of a prosperous Pennsylvania merchant, James Buchanan excelled in the classic curriculum of his local academy and became the rare early-19th-century American to have both the intellect and financial means to attend college. However, Buchanan nearly blew his shot when he was expelled from Dickinson College for getting involved with a rowdy group of fellow students who caused mayhem both on and off campus. Reinstated with the help of family connections, the future president remained on good behavior from that point forward and graduated with honors. 

Ulysses S. Grant

Outside of an aptitude for math and an innate wizardry for connecting with horses, young Ulysses S. Grant offered little reason to expect that his would become among the most famous names in American history. The future president showed minimal interest in writing and rarely spoke in class, flummoxing locals who learned that the unremarkable boy had secured a spot in the United States Military Academy through his father's efforts. 

At West Point, Grant dazzled classmates with his horsemanship skills and uncovered a talent for drawing, but otherwise struggled in French and ethics classes. He finished a middle-of-the-pack 21st out of 39 in his graduating class of 1843, paving the way for the mediocrity that would follow until his ascent to stardom in the Civil War.

Herbert Hoover

To be fair, the Iowa-born Herbert Hoover received a limited formal education after being orphaned at age 9; sent to live with family in Oregon, he was pulled from school at age 14 to help with his uncle's business. Setting his sights on a career as a mining engineer, Hoover took the entrance exams for the brand-new Stanford University in the spring of 1891 and failed all of them except for math. 

Although he performed well enough to gain entry to Stanford on his second try, Hoover still failed the English composition section, and he never managed to get over the hump in that area despite proving a gifted geology student. It took the intervention of a paleontologist professor, who demonstrated Hoover's capabilities for writing strong research papers to the chair of the English department, for the 31st president to earn the passing grade needed to collect his geology degree in 1895.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

An athletic child who enjoyed football and baseball, Dwight D. Eisenhower found an outlet for his relentless energy amid the physically demanding programs of the United States Military Academy. However, a knee injury suffered on the football gridiron as a sophomore seemingly sent "Ike" into a tailspin; his grades plummeted and demerits accumulated, leaving the future president on shaky academic footing. Eisenhower pulled himself together after becoming a student football coach, managing to finish 61st out of 164 students in his class of 1915, although he ranked a lowly 125th in West Point's "conduct" category.

John F. Kennedy

A look at John F. Kennedy's academic record suggests a young man who benefited from being the son of a wealthy and powerful politician. Focused on sports and social activities at the exclusive Choate preparatory school in Connecticut, Kennedy flunked French and Latin as a freshman, and was briefly expelled for his part in a planned prank as a senior. 

Little changed in his first years at Harvard University, as JFK again sunk his energies into football and swimming and largely underwhelmed his professors. However, Kennedy soon grasped the opportunity afforded by his station in life, as his trips to Europe on the eve of World War II brought into focus a possible career in public service. JFK's grades significantly improved over his final years, and his senior thesis, originally titled "Appeasement at Munich: The Inevitable Result of the Slowness of Conversion of the British Democracy From a Disarmament to a Rearmament Policy," earned acclaim after being published in 1940 as the book Why England Slept.

Ronald Reagan

A shy, bookish child, Ronald Reagan came into his own as a teenager after realizing he simply needed a pair of glasses to properly see the world around him. He subsequently became one of the most popular students at Dixon High School in Illinois, earning a letter as a varsity football player while serving as president of the student body and dramatics club. 

At Eureka College, Reagan added swimming to his football and acting extracurriculars, while living in a fraternity room that doubled as the gathering place for his frat brothers' pinochle games. But for all his interests, "the Gipper" was never a strong student; he scored just one "A" at Eureka, in a class called "Fundamentals of Sports," while his senior year GPA of 1.96 was the highest of his college tenure. Returning to campus years later to accept an honorary degree, Reagan joked, "I thought my first Eureka degree was an honorary one."

Striking a Balance

Upon reconsidering the seven-year term, the delegates at the Constitutional Convention found themselves facing a fundamental problem. If the presidential term was too short, the leader would be perpetually campaigning and unable to make difficult long-term decisions. If it was too long, there was a risk of creating a de facto monarch who could consolidate power and easily become corrupt. So, the discussion began again. Various proposals were put forward, ranging from three-year terms to 15-year terms — and even lifelong appointments. 

Finally, in late August 1787, the convention decided on a term of four years with the possibility of reelection. However, the decision had its critics, who argued that even a four-year term would allow the president to establish dangerous influence. One of the most vocal and influential proponents was Alexander Hamilton, who defended the decision in the Federalist Papers (No. 71), arguing that four years offered a balance between accountability and stability. The initial term, he argued, would allow the executive to gain enough authority and public confidence to act with firmness, while the prospect of reelection would serve to incentivize the president to pursue policies with a lasting positive impact. 

The four-year term had another factor in its favor: It would fall between the two-year terms of the House of Representatives and the six-year terms of the Senate. Delegates believed this meant the president would be subject to both the pressures driving the House’s need to respond to immediate public demands as well as the Senate’s focus on long-term objectives. 

Not Too Short, Not Too Long

Having argued their way through that hot 1787 Philadelphia summer, the framers of the Constitution eventually agreed on four years as the ideal term length — not too short, not too long. And with that decision, one of the most stable and enduring features of American democracy began. 

The delegates approved four-year terms with no restriction on how many times a person could be elected president — in theory, a popular (or corrupt) president could serve for life. They placed their trust in voters and the electoral system to prevent any president from serving too long. But then, America’s first president, George Washington, set an enduring — if informal — precedent. He voluntarily stepped down after two terms, despite being hugely popular at the time and almost certain to win a third term had he run. 

This two-term maximum became a tradition that was respected for decades by later presidents — until Franklin D. Roosevelt decided to break the precedent in July 1940. With the United States nearing its entry into World War II, FDR strongly believed that maintaining stability and leadership was vital — and voters agreed. He was elected a third time and remains the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms. 

Once the war ended, however, concerns loomed in Congress regarding possible executive overreach — especially once Roosevelt entered his fourth term in 1945. Congress therefore passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947, stating, “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” This officially gave the United States one of its most enduring democratic principles, limiting the nation’s president to two terms of four years.  

John Tyler: "His Accidency"

When President William Henry Harrison died after just one month in office in 1841, thrusting the job into the hands of the vice president for the first time in the nation's history, people were unsure as to whether John Tyler should be treated as the acting president or as a VP with expanded powers. There was nothing ambiguous about the matter to Tyler, who firmly believed he was simply the president, case closed. Yet his habit of upsetting both the Whigs he was ostensibly representing and the Democrats he had initially aligned with prompted critics across the political spectrum to refer to him by the decidedly less respectful title of "His Accidency."

James Buchanan: "Ten-Cent Jimmy"

James Buchanan's nickname of "Ten-Cent Jimmy" originated during his tenure as a senator from Pennsylvania in the early 1840s, when he allegedly advocated for laborers to receive a pittance of just 10 cents for a day of hard work. The miserly label was revived for the 1856 presidential race, even making its way into a song for candidate John C. Frémont, although it wasn't enough to derail Buchanan's path to victory.

James A. Garfield: "Boatman Jim"

During the 1880 presidential campaign, supporters sought to play up James A. Garfield's humble origins with songs such as "Boatman Jim" highlighting his teenage job on the vessels that navigated the Ohio and Erie Canal. Left unmentioned in these ditties were the candidate's difficulties in this line of work: According to some reports, Garfield fell overboard 14 times in a six-week span, the final instance leading to a serious fever that forced him to quit.

Chester A. Arthur: "Dude President"

To steal a line from Paul McCartney, Chester A. Arthur was "born a poor, young country boy," but he dressed the part of a man with a taste for material riches. The transformation began in college, and by the time Arthur was running the country in the early 1880s, the press was having a field day with reports of him owning 80 pairs of trousers and splurging on hats. The sartorial presentation led to Arthur being dubbed the "Dude President" — with "dude" referring to a conspicuously fashionable man — along with related nicknames such as "Elegant Arthur" and "Gentleman Boss."

Benjamin Harrison: "The Human Iceberg"

Although he proved adept enough at campaign speeches, the scholarly Benjamin Harrison disliked small talk and was accused of being distant and aloof in person. As a result, in addition to contending with epithets that poked fun at his relatively diminutive 5-foot-6 stature, President Harrison also endured nicknames that played on his lack of personal warmth, such as "The Human Iceberg" and "The Refrigerator."

William McKinley: "Wobbly Willie"

Even after Spain was widely (and likely erroneously) blamed for the explosion of the USS Maine off the coast of Cuba in February 1898, President William McKinley sought a diplomatic solution to tensions with the European country. The measured approach didn't sit well with bloodthirsty opponents in Congress and the press, who called the president "Wobbly Willie" for his refusal to take a firm stance in defense of the red, white, and blue. Although the president soon gave Congress the go-ahead to declare war, the nickname resurfaced whenever McKinley was thought to be wavering on an issue.

Franklin D. Roosevelt: "The Sphinx"

Often simply known by the initials FDR, Franklin D. Roosevelt earned a new nickname from the press late in the second term of his presidency. Cagey about whether he planned to run for a third term — at the time, there were no presidential term limits — Roosevelt was coined "The Sphinx" after the famed Egyptian landmark that supposedly guarded the answer to a great riddle. FDR even saw his likeness lampooned with a papier-mâché Sphinx sculpture during a December 1939 journalists' dinner, although he resisted answering the riddle until confirming his third-term candidacy just before the July 1940 Democratic National Convention.

Lyndon B. Johnson: "Light Bulb"

Also widely known by his initials, Lyndon B. Johnson briefly took on a harmless if unflattering nickname after ascending to the presidency in November 1963. Apparently eager to demonstrate his energy-saving ways, Johnson made a habit of trekking through the White House to shut off lights in empty rooms, prompting amused observers to dub him "Light Bulb" Johnson. The appellation reappeared during the 1964 presidential campaign, with opponents distributing paraphernalia reading, "Turn off Light Bulb Johnson."

Richard Nixon: "Iron Butt"

While seemingly as derogatory as his longtime alias of "Tricky Dick," bestowed for allegations of political scheming, Richard Nixon's law school nickname of "Iron Butt" originated from a place of admiration. The moniker apparently stemmed from Nixon's reputation as one of the most studious members of his class. When discussing his career prospects with an older student, the elder insisted that Nixon would be able to handle the professional workload just fine because of his "iron butt" built to withstand long hours in a seat.

Tunnel Network

It’s believed that an extensive tunnel system connects the White House to other key government buildings, though the total length remains classified. One confirmed tunnel runs for 761 feet and connects the East Wing to a secret basement of the adjacent Treasury Building. There are also rumors of tunnels connecting the White House to the Capitol, the Blair House (also known as the President’s Guest House), Number One Observatory Circle (the official residence of the vice president), the Pentagon, and even Camp David — but these are all unsubstantiated for now.

Florist

High-tech bunkers, secret tunnels, and… a florist? Indeed, there is a small but fully functional flower shop in the basement of the White House, beneath the North Portico. Here, the Chief Floral Designer and their team design arrangements for public and private spaces throughout the mansion, often coordinating the colors to complement those of specific rooms. They also create spectacular centerpieces for special events such as state dinners.

Bowling Alley 

One of the not-so-secret underground additions to the White House is the bowling alley, but there are actually two. The first was a two-lane alley built for President Truman in 1947. Originally located in the West Wing, it was later moved to the basement of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, the area of the White House compound housing offices for staffers. A separate single-lane bowling alley for use by the first family and guests lies under the North Portico of the White House, this one added by bowling fanatic Richard Nixon in 1969.

Dental Office

A well-equipped dental office is located in the basement beneath the North Portico, ensuring that the president can get regular check-ups or emergency dental care without leaving the White House grounds. In 2023, President Joe Biden was taken to the underground office complaining of a toothache. The dental team took some X-rays and determined that a root canal was in order — which was then successfully carried out below ground.  

The Intent of the Founding Fathers

The framers of the U.S. Constitution adopted the term “commander in chief” from England, but their intent behind the title wasn’t necessarily the same — they didn’t want anything akin to an all-powerful monarch. Instead, the decision to make the president commander in chief was based on both democratic principles and military necessity.

The Founding Fathers faced one particularly crucial challenge: ensuring effective military leadership while preventing the kind of concentration of power that could threaten democratic governance. They had seen the dangers of military rule in Europe, where standing armies could become tools of oppression — or, under the control of a powerful general, bring down the head of state (Napoleon being a prime example). By making the democratically elected president the commander in chief, they hoped that military power would always remain subordinate to civilian, democratic authority.

The founders also recognized the practical need for a unified command structure during wartime. Previous experience under the Articles of Confederation — in which decentralized military power made it hard to raise cohesive armies — had revealed numerous problems caused by a divided military authority, including a fragmented and ineffective national defense. Having a single commander in chief allowed for greater cohesion, rapid decision-making, and a far more coordinated strategy. 

Checks and Balances

The commander in chief plays a critical role in defending national interests. But the position can also blur the lines between civilian oversight and military authority. For this reason, constitutional scholars often find themselves debating how much power is inherent in the role of commander in chief. Does the president have exclusive control over military operations, as well as the ability to create military courts, direct and remove officers, and wield emergency wartime powers? Or are their powers as commander in chief as constrained as those of any other general and admiral? It’s a debate that raises its head time and again. Of course, there are some checks and balances built into the U.S. Constitution. Only Congress, for example, has the power to actually declare war, limiting the powers of the president even in their role as commander in chief.