Surprising Daily Habits of U.S. Presidents

Ronald Reagan with jelly beans — Credit: Bettmann via Getty Images

Author Bennett Kleinman

May 30, 2024

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Being president of the United States leaves little time for anything outside the demands of the office. Nearly every minute of the commander in chief’s day is spent serving the country, be it attending cabinet meetings and press briefings or meeting with foreign leaders. But even with this jam-packed schedule, the 45 people who have served as POTUS found time for their own hobbies and interests. For some presidents, that meant regular fishing trips or nightly dinners with the first family; for others, it meant something more unusual. Here are some surprising daily habits of former U.S. presidents.

John Quincy Adams Skinny-Dipped in the Potomac

While serving as James Monroe’s secretary of state prior to his own presidency, John Quincy Adams frequently bathed nude in Tiber Creek, a tributary of the Potomac River that once flowed just south of the White House. In a July 1818 diary entry, Adams wrote that he would wake every morning between 4 and 5 a.m., walk 2 miles over to the creek, and enjoy a swim, sans clothing. Adams continued skinny-dipping in the Potomac during his presidency, swimming between 20 minutes and an hour each day. He did, however, eventually cut back per the advice of his physician, who spent years warning Adams about overexerting himself. But in 1846, 17 years after leaving office, a 78-year-old Adams returned to the Potomac for a final skinny-dip before his death less than two years later.

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William Howard Taft Ate Steak Every Morning

William Howard Taft is notorious for being one of the more portly presidents in history, so it should come as no surprise that he consumed a substantial breakfast each morning. Taft began each day with a doctor-prescribed workout with a personal trainer in his private quarters, which he followed with breakfast at precisely 8:30 a.m. His usual meal consisted of a 12-ounce steak, plenty of buttered toast, and coffee loaded with large amounts of cream and sugar. You’d never find eggs on Taft’s plate, however, as they were one of the few foods he despised. As Taft got older, he eventually cut back to just a 6-ounce serving of steak for breakfast.

Calvin Coolidge Rode a Mechanical Horse

Calvin Coolidge’s time in office was unique for many reasons. He became president unexpectedly after the death of Warren G. Harding, and he was such a big animal lover that many unusual creatures occupied the White House during his term, including donkeys and raccoons. But one of Coolidge’s more notable quirks was his untraditional take on staying fit and healthy. Coolidge had a mechanical horse installed inside the White House that he rode three times a day in order to lose weight and improve his liver function. After the press caught word of this mechanical horse, Coolidge was teased relentlessly by his fellow politicians. To avoid further ridicule, he switched to an electric vibration machine that purportedly reduced the waistline.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt Collected Stamps

Franklin D. Roosevelt had been fond of stamps since childhood, though it wasn’t until the 1930s, during his presidency, that stamp collecting coincidentally took off as a nationwide trend. With stamp fever sweeping the nation, the White House often published photos of FDR admiring and examining his stamps. Roosevelt was said to spend time every single day adding to and looking through his collection, and he even joined stamp clubs, participated in stamp auctions, and sketched out prospective designs.

Harry Truman Enjoyed Vigorous 5 a.m. Walks and Morning Bourbon

A morning stroll is often a relaxing activity, but Harry Truman’s daily strolls were conducted at a rather brisk pace. The 33rd president began every morning at 5 a.m. by putting on a suit and tie and stepping out for a 2-mile walk. But rather than a slow saunter, Truman preferred walking at a rate of about 120 steps per minute, equivalent to the pace of a traditional quick march in the U.S. Army. Upon returning to the White House, the president would down a shot of bourbon — at the advice of his doctor — eat a light breakfast, and begin his work day. Truman also spent many days in his hometown of Independence, Missouri, where he began his morning routine a little later, around 7:30 a.m. Those days would start with a shot of bourbon and a glass of orange juice, followed by a brisk walk around the neighborhood.

John F. Kennedy Smoked Four to Five Cigars Every Day

Some people enjoy a cigar after their wedding or the birth of a child, but cigars were more than an occasional indulgence for John F. Kennedy. JFK famously smoked four to five cigars every day, adding up to more than 4,000 cigars during his presidency alone. His preferred brands included Monticello and Upmann, the latter of which were Cuban cigars. This of course caused an issue when the United States implemented a trade embargo against Cuba in the early 1960s, but Kennedy planned ahead. One day in 1961, he called press secretary Pierre Salinger into his office and instructed him to purchase 1,000 Upmann Petit cigars by the following morning. Salinger went from shop to shop around Washington, D.C., and returned to the Oval Office with 1,200 cigars to satisfy the request. Shortly after, Kennedy signed a ban on Cuban products being sold in the U.S.

Lyndon B. Johnson Held Meetings in the Bathroom

Lyndon B. Johnson was an untraditional politician in many ways, not least of which was his habit of holding meetings with advisers while he was seated on the toilet. This was part of what became known as the “Johnson treatment,” a method of persuasion that relied on flattery, bullying, and other unusual tactics to win political victories. While walking down the hall, LBJ would regularly wander into the bathroom and tell his advisers to follow him inside so the meeting could continue. He even had telephones installed in various White House bathrooms, and also instructed aides to stand outside the shower to hold conversations while he bathed. On many mornings, LBJ began the day by inviting aides into his private bedroom, where he would conduct official business while still in bed with his wife, Lady Bird Johnson.

Ronald Reagan Constantly Snacked on Jelly Beans

Ronald Reagan was a heavy pipe smoker for much of his life, until he decided to quit in 1966 at age 55. In order to help satisfy his oral fixation and kick the habit, Reagan snacked on Goelitz Mini Jelly Beans (which later became Jelly Belly). Reagan was such a devoted fan of these candies that Goelitz sent a 3.5-ton shipment of special red (very cherry), white (coconut), and the newly created blue (blueberry) jelly beans to Washington, D.C., for his first presidential inauguration in 1981. After moving into the White House, Reagan always had jars of jelly beans within arm’s reach, as he snacked on them no matter where he was conducting business. In fact, the president issued a standing order of 720 bags of jelly beans every month — that’s 306,070 individual beans — to be distributed throughout many government buildings in the nation’s capital.

We Made Thomas Jefferson’s Ice Cream

Ice cream ingredients — Credit: Kristina Wright

Author Kristina Wright

May 16, 2024

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Thomas Jefferson’s complicated legacy encompasses his roles as an American founding father, the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and the third President of the United States. Jefferson was also an enthusiastic foodie, with a willingness to try new cuisine and an interest in kitchen gadgets. He particularly enjoyed ice cream, a dessert he likely encountered during his time in France from 1784 to 1789. And while Jefferson did not introduce the young United States to ice cream — the frozen treat was served in the American colonies as early as 1744 — he certainly helped popularize the dish, and he is the first known American to write down a recipe for it.

Jefferson’s ice cream recipe is one of only 10 surviving recipes in his handwriting. It’s unlikely that the President created the recipe himself; the original source was likely his French butler, Adrien Petit. Still, Jefferson was fond enough of the creamy dessert to write down the recipe and ship pewter ice molds back from France.

While the founding father’s ice cream recipe is simple to make, the tools used in the early 19th century aren’t in common use today. For instance, the “sabottiere” ice cream maker (also spelled “sabotiere”) that Jefferson references was a lidded metal bucket within a larger wooden bucket. Today’s ice cream makers have similar components, but are easier, faster, and less laborious to use. Likewise, the ice cream molds that Jefferson had shipped from France are mostly obsolete today, replaced by silicone popsicle molds and pint- or quart-sized containers.

The website for Jefferson’s Virginia home, Monticello, includes both Jefferson’s original ice cream recipe and an updated version by Jefferson historian Marie Kimball. To make Jefferson’s ice cream, my son and I stuck as close to the original recipe as possible, improvising when necessary. For instance, to bring the ice cream mixture to boiling, we used a large skillet on a gas stovetop rather than an open fire. And instead of straining it “thro’ a towel,” we used a metal sieve.

Though the process took considerably longer than we expected — and longer than Jefferson himself suggested (see the note at the end of the article) — the end result was rich, creamy, and delicious!

Jefferson's Ice Cream Recipe

2 bottles of good cream.
6 yolks of eggs.
1/2 lb. sugar

mix the yolks & sugar
put the cream on a fire in a casserole, first putting in a stick of Vanilla.
when near boiling take it off & pour it gently into the mixture of eggs & sugar.
stir it well.
put it on the fire again stirring it thoroughly with a spoon to prevent it's sticking to the casserole.
when near boiling take it off and strain it thro' a towel.
put it in the Sabottiere
then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served. put into the ice a handful of salt.
put salt on the coverlid of the Sabotiere & cover the whole with ice.
leave it still half a quarter of an hour.
then turn the Sabottiere in the ice 10 minutes
open it to loosen with a spatula the ice from the inner sides of the Sabotiere.
shut it & replace it in the ice
open it from time to time to detach the ice from the sides
when well taken (prise) stir it well with the Spatula.
put it in moulds, justling it well down on the knee.
then put the mould into the same bucket of ice.
leave it there to the moment of serving it.
to withdraw it, immerse the mould in warm water, turning it well till it will come out & turn it into a plate.

(Modern version here, adapted by historian Marie Kimball)

Gathering the Ingredients

First we gathered our ingredients and supplies. Jefferson’s recipe calls for just five ingredients: sugar, egg yolks, a pinch of salt, cream, and vanilla. But the ice cream-making process requires a number of kitchen supplies, as well as ice and salt, which lowers the freezing/melting point of water. To duplicate Jefferson’s process, I needed to purchase a metal pail, a larger wooden bucket, a large fine sieve, and ice cream “molds,” which were silicone ice cream containers. I also bought a large container of rock salt, as it reacts better with the ice than table salt.

Blending the Eggs and Sugar

In a large bowl, we whisked six egg yolks, then added 1 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt, creating a thick, bright-yellow mixture.

Heating the Cream and Vanilla

Jefferson’s recipe calls for a “stick of Vanilla,” referring to a vanilla bean, from which we get the more familiar vanilla extract. I made a slit in the vanilla bean before heating it with the cream in order to release those tiny seeds that give vanilla ice cream its speckled appearance. (It also smells amazing!)

The recipe also calls for “2 bottles of good cream,” but doesn’t specify the quantity in the bottles. For this step, we relied on Marie Kimball’s updated version of the recipe and used 1 quart of heavy whipping cream (which is the same as heavy cream).

Pouring the Hot Cream and Vanilla Over the Egg and Sugar Mixture

Once the cream and vanilla reached boiling, we took the pan off the stove and slowly poured the cream over the egg and sugar mixture. Then we gently stirred it until the ingredients were well blended before returning the mixture to the pan.

Boiling the Ice Cream Mixture

Kimball’s version of Jefferson’s recipe calls for using a double boiler to heat the ice cream mixture, but we stuck with a single pan, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. After a few minutes, the mixture began to thicken, taking on a custardy texture that smelled like vanilla cake. Once the mixture reached boiling, we took it off the heat.

Straining the Ice Cream Mixture

For the straining step, I intended to use cheesecloth to simulate Jefferson’s towel method, but due to the potential for a literal hot mess, I opted to use Kimball’s recommendation for a fine sieve. Straining the ice cream mixture like this allowed us to catch the small bits of egg and vanilla bean, leaving the ice cream mixture silky smooth.

Putting the Mixture Into the Ice Cream Maker

In place of Jefferson’s “sabottiere,” we poured the strained ice cream mixture into a lidded metal pail, filled the whiskey barrel with an ice and rock salt mixture (per Kimball’s instructions), and then turned the pail at regular intervals, stirring the ice cream mixture occasionally as it slowly began to cool and freeze.

Molding the Ice Cream

After two hours, the ice cream had cooled and thickened to a milkshake consistency. Jefferson’s recipe calls for the ice cream to be packed into ice molds, which were hinged pewter containers in the shape of flowers, fruit, and other decorative objects, but we used a quart-sized silicone ice cream container instead. In retrospect, I wish we’d used popsicle molds, as the smaller containers would have made the ice cream freeze faster.

Once the ice cream was in the container, it took another two hours to thicken to soft-serve consistency. We could have eaten it then (and we did taste test it!), but we wanted the ice cream to hold its shape when scooped. Since most of the ice in the whiskey barrel had melted at this point, we decided to put the container in our modern freezer overnight.

The Final Result

After freezing overnight, the ice cream was hard-packed and scoopable! Creamy, pale-yellow, and speckled with vanilla bean, it was the richest ice cream we’d ever tasted.

Note: One line of Jefferson’s recipe reads, “Then set it in ice an hour before it is to be served.” The actual time to freeze using his method took several hours just to get to soft-serve consistency. This could be due to the size and shape of the containers we used, but it still seems unlikely that it could be done in an hour, even using Jefferson-era ice molds.

History’s Most Surprising Vice President Picks

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Author Mark DeJoy

February 22, 2024

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Despite being only one degree away from the presidency, the Vice President of the United States has long been viewed as an inauspicious position. John Adams called it “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.” And when Theodore Roosevelt had a noisy chandelier removed from the White House, he ordered, “Take it to the office of the Vice President. He doesn’t have anything to do. It will keep him awake.”

But the Vice President is one step of succession away from the Oval Office, and that simple fact lends weight to the selection. That weight can, in turn, make for some surprising results. These are some of the more unexpected U.S. Vice Presidents to take office.

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Theodore Roosevelt as William McKinley’s VP

In 1899, in the months leading up to William McKinley’s 1900 reelection campaign, Vice President Garret Hobart began suffering from symptoms of a severe heart condition, including fainting spells. Though Republican Senator Mark Hanna tried to assure the public that “nothing but death or an earthquake can stop the re-nomination of Vice President Hobart,” the former seemed to be exactly the concern. Unfortunately, Hobart’s health worsened, and he died on November 21, 1899. And McKinley found himself unexpectedly looking for a running mate for reelection.

At the time, Theodore Roosevelt was serving his first year as governor of New York, and immediately emphasized a slate of reforms that put him at odds with the establishment in his own party. Republican Party bosses realized that they could effectively remove “that damned cowboy” (as Hanna referred to Roosevelt) from New York politics by nominating him as McKinley’s running mate. Roosevelt realized the political exile the vice presidency would entail, and argued against his nomination. Hanna, for his part, was vehemently opposed to the idea of Roosevelt as Vice President, at one point pleading, “Don’t any of you realize that there’s only one life between that madman and the presidency?”

The strangely aligned Roosevelt and Hanna were both unable to stem the tide, and the tally at the 1900 Republican National Convention concluded with 929 of a possible 930 votes in favor of Roosevelt as Vice President. The count was not unanimous only because there was one delegate who abstained from voting: Theodore Roosevelt himself. There was no choice but to accept the nomination, and party boss Thomas Platt quipped that he would attend McKinley’s second inauguration just “to see Theodore take the veil.” But Hanna’s warning would prove prescient just one year later, when McKinley was shot and killed, and Roosevelt assumed the presidency.

Harry Truman as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s VP

Harry Truman’s surprising presidential victory in 1948 is much more famous than his vice presidential candidacy in 1944, but Truman being chosen to replace incumbent Henry Wallace as President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s running mate was unexpected in its own right. It wasn’t that FDR changing his Vice President was unprecedented: Wallace himself had replaced two-term VP John Nance Garner for the 1940 election. But Wallace was well established within Roosevelt’s cabinet, having served as secretary of agriculture since 1933, and Roosevelt had even suggested that he wouldn’t run for a third term without Wallace on the ticket.

By 1944, though, FDR was in poor health, and Democratic Party leaders who had disagreed with his choice of Wallace as Vice President in 1940 argued more intently for a different running mate. Perhaps concerned himself about how Wallace’s friendship with Russian mystic Nicholas Roerich left the previous campaign vulnerable to political attack in the form of the infamous “guru letters,” Roosevelt refrained from naming a preferred running mate for 1944. Still, when the first ballot was cast at the Democratic National Convention, Wallace led the pack — though he didn’t secure the number of delegates needed to win the nomination. By the second ballot, Southern states switched their delegates to Truman, allowing him to snare a come-from-behind victory. Years later, Wallace claimed in an article for TIME magazine that the convention leaders had maneuvered the delegates’ switch in favor of their preferred candidate.

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Andrew Johnson as Abraham Lincoln’s VP

Andrew Johnson might be the most surprising “balance-the-ticket” candidate in history, since he wasn’t even in the same party as the President he was running with. But in the midst of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln wanted a running mate to represent unity, so he advocated for the Southern Democrat to join the ticket. Despite Lincoln’s popularity, the proposal was met with a level of opposition that is probably not very surprising. When told of Lincoln’s intention for the Republican Party to nominate Johnson, Pennsylvania Congressman Thaddeus Stevens protested, “Can't you get a candidate for Vice President without going down into a damned rebel province for one?”

An opposition Republican National Convention was even called in Cleveland to promote California Senator John Frémont for President, with Union General John Cochrane as his running mate. But the unity Lincoln was seeking was evident in the support Johnson had from moderate Republicans. The Republican Party was temporarily renamed the National Union Party, and when the convention took place, Johnson won the vice presidential nomination.

Elbridge Gerry as James Madison’s VP

By the presidential election of 1812, Elbridge Gerry was nearly 20 years past his intended (and short) retirement from a storied career in government. He had signed the Declaration of Independence, served two stints in the Continental Congress, acted as a delegate in the Constitutional Convention, and was elected governor of Massachusetts. He was also a firebrand who refused to sign the Constitution, and his frequent overall dissent earned him accusations of partisanship; in a 1787 letter to Thomas Jefferson, an unidentified confidant called Gerry a “Grumbletonian” prone to “objecting to [anything] he did not propose.” His perceived failure to rebuke an attempted bribery scheme by French diplomats in 1796 (known as the XYZ Affair) nearly sunk his post-retirement reentry into politics from the outset. And the redistricting bill he signed early in 1812 while governor was derided to the point that the resulting district was referred to as a “Gerry-mander.”

Gerry was not originally looking to join President James Madison’s 1812 reelection bid; he was attempting to win another term as governor of Massachusetts. Besides, Vice President George Clinton was firmly entrenched in the position, having served in the office since 1805 under both Madison and Thomas Jefferson. But then something unprecedented happened: On April 20, 1812, Clinton died at age 72, marking the first time a sitting Vice President had passed away. Two months later, Gerry’s gubernatorial reelection campaign failed, and he appealed to Madison for a federal position due to the poor state of his finances. Since Madison’s first choice to replace Clinton, James Langdon, declined, Madison ended up asking Gerry to join his election ticket. This aligned with the Democratic-Republican’s desire for a Northerner to complement Madison’s Virginia origins. The Madison-Gerry ticket was a success at the polls, and Gerry served as Vice President for two years before also dying in office at age 70.

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William Rufus King as Franklin Pierce’s VP

When William Rufus King was chosen as Franklin Pierce’s running mate for the 1852 election, he became the first U.S. senator to be nominated for Vice President. Pierce hailed from New Hampshire, and the Alabama senator was chosen for the classic “balance the ticket” strategy. At the time, nearly a decade before the Civil War, balancing the ticket meant nominating a VP who was an ardent supporter of slavery — precisely the attitude needed to appeal to the South.

During the election, however, King was ill with tuberculosis, and was unable to campaign. He spent much of the race seeking a cure in Cuba, and was still there when he and Pierce were elected. As he was not able to travel back to Washington, D.C., in time for their inauguration, Congress needed to pass special legislation in order for King to be sworn in abroad, making him the only Vice President to have ever been sworn into office outside the U.S.

Thomas Marshall as Woodrow Wilson’s VP

On the surface, Thomas Marshall’s nomination as Woodrow Wilson’s Vice President seems fairly straightforward. As the governor of Indiana, he was the popular leader of what had been a critical swing state — since 1880, no presidential candidate had won the election without carrying Indiana. But there were a few underlying problems: For one, Wilson did not want Marshall on the ticket, referring to him as “a very small caliber man.” And Marshall himself had a similar attitude toward the vice presidency as Theodore Roosevelt before him. He wryly joked, “Once there were two brothers. One ran away to sea; the other was elected Vice President of the United States. And nothing was heard of either of them again.”

By the time of the 1912 Democratic National Convention, the party was still split on who would serve as Wilson’s running mate. Democratic powerhouse William Jennings Bryan was proposed as a candidate by a delegate from the District of Columbia, but declined consideration in a response speech, and instead advocated for both North Dakota Governor John Burke and Oregon Senator George Chamberlain. Meanwhile, rumors circulated that Wilson himself was delaying the vote in order to persuade Missouri Congressman James Beauchamp “Champ” Clark to be his running mate. The first vote was held at 1 a.m., and resulted in no decision. After nearly an hour of angling and debate, Marshall was finally elected the party’s vice presidential nominee — and even then, he considered rejecting the office due to its inadequate pay.

What 7 U.S. Presidents Did After Their Presidency

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Author Tony Dunnell

February 8, 2024

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John Quincy Adams is often quoted as saying, “There is nothing more pathetic in life than a former President.” It’s a slightly harsh assessment, but perhaps not devoid of truth. Being President is, after all, a hard act to follow. What do you do when you step down from one of the most high-profile jobs in the world?

Some former U.S. Presidents have welcomed the chance for a quiet retirement after the stress and strain of being commander in chief. Others have actively sought to remain in politics, reluctant to edge away from the limelight. And some have gone on to do things that few expected of them: George W. Bush became a painter; Bill Clinton won a Grammy for Best Spoken-Word Album for Children; and Barack Obama signed a deal with Netflix. Then there’s Grover Cleveland, who left the presidency in 1889 only to return for a second term a few years later — a feat that had not been repeated until 2025, when Donald Trump began his nonconsecutive second term.

Here are seven U.S. Presidents who went on to have particularly interesting post-presidency lives, variously involving whiskey production, epic epistolary output, and a perilous expedition to the Amazon jungle.

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George Washington

Following the end of his presidency in 1797, George Washington retired to Mount Vernon, where he continued to receive a large number of visitors — in 1798 alone, the Washingtons hosted as many as 677 guests. In order to supplement his income, the founding father set up a whiskey distillery, despite having no prior experience in distilling alcohol. It wasn’t long before his business became one of the largest whiskey producers in America, operating five copper pot stills throughout the year. In 1799, Washington’s distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons of liquor, which he sold to neighbors and in stores in Alexandria and Richmond. The distillery became one of Washington’s most profitable enterprises.

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Thomas Jefferson

When Thomas Jefferson retired to his Virginia estate in 1809, he certainly didn’t slow down. Monticello was a hive of activity, at times hosting 50 guests — forcing Jefferson to build a second house on his Bedford estate where he could find some solitude. When not working in his garden, the former President was often found writing letters to people of note across the globe; one year, he wrote an astonishing 1,268 letters. The rest of his time was spent on various architectural projects, including the never-ending development of Monticello. Jefferson was most devoted to another pet project, the University of Virginia. He designed its campus buildings, set up its curriculum, selected all the books for its library, and chose its faculty members. In fact, the inscription on Jefferson's tombstone at Monticello names the achievements that the founding father wished to be remembered for, and notably omits the role of President. It reads, "Here was buried Thomas Jefferson, Author of the Declaration of American Independence, of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom, & Father of the University of Virginia."

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John Quincy Adams

Following his defeat by Andrew Jackson in the 1828 presidential election, John Quincy Adams — the son of America’s second President, John Adams — fell into something of a funk. Saddened by his loss and what he considered dark days ahead for the nation (the American Civil War began some 30 years later), he returned to his hometown of Quincy, Massachusetts. But he soon became bored by retirement. Against the wishes of his family, he ran for Congress and won election to the House of Representatives, becoming the first — and so far only — former President to run for and win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He held the position from 1831 until his death in 1848, and was one of the House’s most articulate and forceful voices against slavery.

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Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt was never a man to sit on the sidelines twiddling his thumbs. Following his disappointing loss to Woodrow Wilson in the 1912 presidential election (which would have given Roosevelt a third term in office), the 55-year-old decided to embark upon a dangerous expedition down an uncharted tributary of the Brazilian Amazon called the Rio da Dúvida, or River of Doubt. Accompanied by his 23-year-old son Kermit and a team of porters, explorers, and scientists, Roosevelt set off in December 1913. By the time they reached the River of Doubt in February 1914, they had already lost a number of team members to tropical illnesses, and half their pack animals had died. As they ventured farther down the unmapped territory, they had to contend with everything from mosquitoes to alligators to the potential threat of attack from Indigenous peoples in the area. Roosevelt got malaria during the lengthy expedition, and became dangerously ill. Still, the team managed to reach the end of their journey, at which point Roosevelt sent an understated telegram describing it as “a hard and somewhat dangerous, but very successful trip.”

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Dwight D. Eisenhower

When his presidency ended in 1961, Dwight D. Eisenhower retired to his small farm adjacent to the battlefield outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The war hero’s involvement in politics, however, was far from over, and he remained active in the Republican Party as an elder statesman. He occasionally advised President John F. Kennedy, and was a frequent adviser to President Lyndon B. Johnson, especially after LBJ committed troops to Vietnam. Eisenhower also found the time to raise Angus cattle, paint, and write two volumes of his memoirs, as well as a bestselling book of anecdotal essays titled At Ease: Stories I Tell to Friends.

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Richard Nixon

Richard Nixon was forced to resign in 1974 following the disgrace of Watergate, the worst political scandal in United States history. But rather than crawl away and hide, Nixon slowly but surely engineered a redemption arc that went some way to restoring both his tarnished reputation and his personal financial woes created by legal costs. First, he sold the rights to his memoirs for more than $2 million (RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon later became a bestseller); then he gave a now-legendary interview to British TV personality David Frost for $600,000. This helped pave the way for a more active return to politics, albeit often in an advisory role. He gave advice to President Jimmy Carter and was also consulted by Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush (although neither President publicized the fact). Nixon eventually became a widely acknowledged expert on foreign policy, and authored several well-received books that cemented his status as a political heavyweight.

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Jimmy Carter

When Jimmy Carter lost his bid for reelection in 1980, it looked as though his legacy might be forever tarnished by a presidency marked by an array of problems: an energy crisis, Soviet aggression, the Iran hostage crisis, rising inflation, and rising unemployment. But in later years, Carter was seen in a more positive light, helped immensely by his post-presidential life. Following his presidency, Carter emerged as a champion of human rights, and is now considered by some to be the nation's greatest former President. In 1982, he founded the Carter Center, an organization devoted to issues relating to democracy and human rights. He was also known for his tireless role with Habitat for Humanity International, a global organization that provides housing for underprivileged people. Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. He died in late 2024 at the age of 100.

A Historic Tour of the Oval Office

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Author Nicole Villeneuve

January 31, 2024

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The workspace of the President of the United States — better known as the Oval Office — has undergone several changes over the last century or so. President William Howard Taft is credited for having the first Oval Office built in 1909, and in 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt constructed the modern office. Since then, while the overall layout and architectural features have remained relatively consistent, the color scheme, the paintings that adorn the walls, the furniture, and more have been changed to reflect the taste and, often, the ideals of each incoming President. Some items, such as the Resolute Desk, have found their way into the room more often than not, serving as a symbol of grandeur and authority. Here are seven pieces of Oval Office history that not only tell a story of their own, but also contribute to the larger narrative of American history.

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The Resolute Desk

The Resolute Desk is one of the most storied pieces in the Oval Office. Crafted from the oak and mahogany timbers of the HMS Resolute — a British ship abandoned in the Arctic in 1854 and later recovered by the United States — the desk was gifted to President Rutherford B. Hayes by Queen Victoria in 1880. Despite its significance, the desk wasn’t always used in the Oval Office — it lived instead in the President’s Office, the President’s Study, and even the broadcast room for TV and radio addresses. In 1961, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy undertook a restoration and redecoration of the White House, and moved the ornate desk into the Oval Office; since then, all successive leaders except Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Gerald Ford have used the Resolute Desk (though President George H.W. Bush used it for only part of his presidency). The artifact has had just two notable modifications since it was originally made: A hinged panel featuring the presidential coat of arms was added to the front in 1945, and a base was added to heighten the desk in 1961.

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The Seymour Tall Case Clock

Since 1975, an imposing grandfather clock has stood in the room’s northeast corner. According to the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum, the clock was part of a furniture lot acquired by First Lady Pat Nixon two years before its Oval Office debut during Ford’s presidency. Made sometime between 1795 and 1805 by father and son cabinetmakers John and Thomas Seymour of Boston, the clock — known as the Seymour tall case clock — is made of mahogany and stands 8 feet, 10 inches tall. A very similar clock, from the same time period, is described by the Metropolitan Museum of Art as “among the finest and most aesthetically significant examples produced in North America during the Federal period.” In 2017, the stately piece unexpectedly appeared in the news when former FBI director James Comey mentioned it repeatedly when detailing his meetings with President Donald Trump.

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The White Marble Mantel

While some Oval Office decor comes and goes, the white marble fireplace mantel hasn’t changed for any administration since 1909. After the 27th President, William Howard Taft, took office, he held a competition to find an architect to renovate the West Wing and create the first Oval Office. The winner, architect Nathan C. Wyeth, selected a neoclassical mantel that has survived more than just time: In 1929, a fire in the West Wing gutted the Oval Office, and while the mantel suffered visible damage, it was salvaged and remained a fixture of the room. Five years later, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded and relocated the Oval Office to the West Wing’s present southeast corner location, overlooking the Wilson Rose Garden, the mantel also moved, and has been in place ever since.

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George Washington Portraits

Among the many former Presidents whose portraits regularly appear in the Oval Office is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the first U.S. President, George Washington. Two specific portraits of the founding father have appeared time and again over the years: Charles Willson Peale’s three-quarter-length portrait, painted in 1776, and one by his son, Rembrandt Peale. Rembrandt Peale’s famous 1823 "Porthole" portrait was created as a replica of the artist’s original Washington portrait — which itself was purchased by Congress for $2,000 in 1832 — and is often given prominent placement over the mantel in the Oval Office.

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The Presidential Seal in the Rug

The presidential seal is a familiar emblem, featuring an eagle, arrows, an olive branch, and a shield, and is famously featured in the Oval Office’s central rug. The seal’s prominent carpet placement was first used by President Harry Truman and has been replicated by nearly every President since. Truman’s carpet wasn’t only the first time a President featured the seal on the Oval Office rug, but it was also among the first uses of the newly redesigned symbol. Before his death, President Franklin D. Roosevelt worked on revamping the image, which added stars to represent the states and, most notably, turned the eagle’s head away from the arrows clutched in its claws, and toward the olive branch of peace.

Swedish Ivy

The Oval Office’s white marble mantel isn’t only regularly adorned with paintings: Since John F. Kennedy’s administration in the early 1960s, a Swedish ivy plant has often appeared perched on the ledge. The plant originated as a gift to Kennedy from Irish ambassador Thomas J. Kiernan. Its endurance warranted its own TIME magazine feature in 1984, and it has many progenies, originating as clippings from the main plant and passed around to friends and colleagues by White House staffers through the years. The famous greenery still lives in the Oval Office, rooted from Kennedy’s original plant.

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The “Bronco Buster” Sculpture

“The Bronco Buster” is one of artist Frederic Remington’s most famous pieces. The bronze sculpture shows a cowboy on horseback, and its endurance as a symbol of the American West has been a fixture in the Oval Office since around the time it was gifted to the White House in 1973. Initially crafted in 1895, the sculpture was inspired by one of Remington's own early illustrations, accompanying an article written by Theodore Roosevelt in an 1888 edition of Century Magazine. Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump included it in their decor, but President Joe Biden removed it when he took office in 2021. Biden opted for a different horse sculpture: “Swift Messenger,” featuring a horse and rider, was made by New Mexico-based artist Allan Houser of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, and once belonged to Hawaiian Senator Daniel Ken Inouye, the first Japanese American person elected to both houses of Congress.

6 Things You Didn’t Know About the Kennedys

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Author Kristina Wright

September 21, 2023

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In American politics, there are few families who have had as big an impact on the nation’s history as the Kennedys. The family’s roots can be traced back to two Irish Catholic immigrant families, the Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, who came to the U.S. beginning in the 1840s to escape the potato famine in Ireland. In 1914, Joseph P. Kennedy, the son of a wealthy Boston businessman, married Rose Fitzgerald, the daughter of an equally prominent Boston family. The couple went on to have nine children: Joseph Jr., John (“Jack”), Rose Marie, Kathleen, Eunice, Patricia, Robert (“Bobby”), Jean, and Edward (“Ted”), many of whom served the country in a variety of elected and appointed roles, helping steer the course of the nation.

The most famous of Joseph and Rose’s children was their second-oldest child, John F. Kennedy. Before he became the 35th and youngest elected President of the United States in 1961, he served in the Navy and represented Massachusetts in both houses of Congress. The 1963 assassination of the young and charismatic President triggered a wave of profound shock and grief across the nation, marking the end of an era as postwar idealism gave way to a period of political and social turbulence. Here are six little-known facts about this famous political family.

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John F. Kennedy Donated His Congressional and Presidential Salaries to Charity

The Kennedys may have started out as a middle-class family in Boston, but Joseph Kennedy’s success in banking, stock trading, movie production, and liquor sales made them very wealthy. So wealthy, in fact, that Joseph established a trust fund for each of his children. From the time John F. Kennedy was 21, he lived on the interest of his own $10 million trust, making it possible for him to donate his congressional and presidential salaries to charity. Over the course of his political career, JFK donated more than $500,000 to dozens of charitable organizations, including the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, the United Negro College Fund, and the Foundation for Jewish Philanthropies.

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Jackie Kennedy Started a School in the White House

First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was known to be a private person who was very protective of her children. Concerned about potential security risks and the omnipresent press, Jackie decided to turn the third-floor solarium in the White House into a nursery school for her young daughter, Caroline, in 1961. The school grew to around 20 students that included Caroline’s playmates and children of White House staff, and the salaries of two New York State-certified teachers were paid by the Kennedys and other parents. Though school segregation was outlawed in 1954, the process to integrate schools was ongoing at the time, and President Kennedy was criticized for not sending his own daughter to an integrated public school. In September 1962, The New York Timesreported that Caroline’s school was being desegregated that fall with the addition of a Black student, the son of associate White House press secretary Andrew Hatcher.

The “Camelot” Comparison Came From an Interview With Jackie

Just a week after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Theodore H. White interviewed the grieving First Lady for Life magazine. Jackie’s recollections of the day her husband was killed, and what happened in the aftermath, were published as an “epilogue” of the President’s life. The First Lady reminisced about her husband’s fondness for the musical Camelot, noting that his favorite lines were from the last song in the show, “Finale Ultimo”: “Don’t let it be forgot, that once there was a spot / for one brief shining moment / that was known as Camelot.” Jackie went on to say, “There’ll be great Presidents again… but there’ll never be another Camelot again.” Her poignant commemoration of her husband’s presidency contributed to JFK’s enduring legacy as a modern-day hero whose life was cut tragically short.

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Robert F. Kennedy Advocated for Civil Rights

Just like his older brother, Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy was actively involved in politics. He even served as U.S. attorney general when JFK became President. In a May 1961 Voice of America radio broadcast, Bobby envisioned a time when a Black person would be able to “achieve the same position that my brother has as President of the United States.” It was an optimistic prediction in the years before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 — legislation that Bobby urged his brother to advance — and one that took 47 years to fulfill with Barack Obama’s presidency. Bobby was assassinated just two months after Martin Luther King Jr., but his legacy of civil rights advocacy continues with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights foundation, which was founded in his name just a few months after his assassination in 1968.

Ted Kennedy’s Long Senate Career Started With JFK’s Seat

Edward “Ted” Kennedy was the youngest of Joseph and Rose Kennedy’s nine children, and just as politically ambitious as his older brothers. After JFK won the 1960 presidential election, he resigned from his Senate seat, and Ted wanted the position. However, he wasn’t yet eligible to pursue the office because he was only 28 years old — two years younger than the minimum age to be a senator. JFK asked the Massachusetts governor to appoint family friend Ben Smith to serve as interim senator, a “seat warmer” until Ted was able to run. Ted went on to win the 1962 special election and maintained his place in the Senate until his death in August 2009. Despite family tragedies and the infamous Chappaquiddick controversy, the “Lion of the Senate” represented the state of Massachusetts for 46 years, nine months, and 19 days, making him the fifth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.

The Kennedy Compound Is Still in the Family

In 1928, Joseph and Rose Kennedy bought the summer home they had been renting in Hyannis Port, a village on the Cape Cod peninsula in Massachusetts. The “big house” was renovated and expanded to accommodate their large family, becoming a place for the elder Kennedys to gather with their children and grandchildren. The purchase of two nearby properties, one owned by John and Jackie, the other by Bobby and his wife Ethel, established what came to be known as the “Kennedy Compound.” The 6-acre property remained in the family until 2012, when the main house (which had been Ted Kennedy’s primary residence until his death in 2009) was donated to the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. Robert Kennedy’s widow, Ethel, still lives in the nearby home she shared with her husband, and the house that once belonged to JFK is now owned by Ted Kennedy’s son Edward M. Kennedy Jr.

We Made JFK’s Famous Waffles, and Here’s What We Learned

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Author Kellie Stewart

August 29, 2023

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Like everything else they do while in office, the food preferences of the United States presidents are meticulously documented. The eating habits of the commanders in chief become the object of scrutiny, and can even help shape the popularity of certain dishes. Thomas Jefferson, for instance, is credited with introducing multiple recipes to the New World, including macaroni, ice cream, and French fries. John Tyler had a popular type of pie named after him, and Ronald Reagan was famous for keeping a jar of Jelly Belly jelly beans on his desk.

The 35th president, John F. Kennedy, is no exception. In fact, among the documents on his presidency preserved in the National Archives is a small recipe card featuring his family waffle recipe. Over the years, various cookbooks requested family recipes from the Kennedys, and one that was frequently shared was this waffle recipe, which JFK often requested himself from the White House chefs.

As a lover of both history and waffles, I decided to make these waffles for myself and see if I could bring the Kennedy experience to my own kitchen. Here’s what I discovered about JFK’s famous breakfast dish.

A Classic Family Meets a Classic Dish

A breakfast staple dating back to ancient Greece, waffles are more than just pancakes with ridges. They were originally thin wafers eaten on special occasions, and, in another presidential twist, Thomas Jefferson was purported to have brought the first long-handled waffle iron to America. In the decades since, waffles have undergone several makeovers, from fluffy Belgian varieties to frozen Eggos. But no matter their shape or price, they are a quintessential breakfast dish.

It’s perhaps no surprise, then, that this recipe was so beloved by President Kennedy, who was a lover of the classics. According to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, JFK was fond of a smattering of traditional meals, such as New England fish chowder, corn muffins, and chocolate. However, he was also noted as being “a small eater and he often had to be reminded that it was dinner time.”

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Making the Waffles

I was confident when I set out to make these waffles. A longtime baker, I'd consider myself slightly above novice, especially when it comes to breakfast. Waffles hold a special place in my heart. They were the food I craved above all else when I stayed home sick as a kid. The first thing I registered for when I was getting married was a good waffle iron, and now it's one of my favorite weekend treats to make for my own daughter.

To my surprise, the hardest part of the whole experience began before I even heated up the waffle iron. I could not find cake flour. My grocery store shelves were stocked with all-purpose flour, bread flour, even gluten-free almond flour, but it took three Target runs to finally find cake flour, which, as I learned, has a slightly lower protein content than all-purpose flour, making it extra fine and light — ideal for waffle-making.

Aside from the flour, the ingredient list is pretty standard, though with slightly more flair than a traditional waffle recipe. Each ingredient goes one step further than you would find in a basic recipe. Buttermilk instead of regular milk. Separated egg yolks and whipped egg whites folded into the batter instead of a whole egg unceremoniously cracked in. Butter instead of vegetable oil. Reading the ingredient list alone gives you a hint to how fluffy and rich these waffles will be.

With that said, nothing in the recipe was too difficult, especially for an experienced waffle maker. Even a beginner could whip these up easily, as long as you pay attention to the recipe.

So, that being said, make sure to read the recipe extra carefully. There are a few tricky points, such as an extra tablespoon of flour on top of the 1 cup already in there, or 7/8 cup of milk, if you opt out of buttermilk. Also, expert chefs be warned: The baking powder, which is typically combined with flour at the beginning of a bake, isn't added until the very end. Those four heaping tablespoons will give the waffles an extra fluffiness, so just trust the recipe.

Also note that these are a bit more delicate than a thick boxed mix, so you'll want to spray your waffle iron and be extra careful peeling them from the heat.

Drumroll, Please…

The end result was light, fluffy, and delicious — not surprising given the work that went into them. Like each individual ingredient, the waffles themselves felt like an elevated dish taken to a slightly higher level.

There's no sugar in this recipe, which means these aren't the sweet dessert waffles you may dream about. But add fruit, whipped cream, or any other desired toppings and that will easily make up for it — though the recipe itself advises you serve with "hot maple syrup and melted butter." That's exactly what I did, and it was the perfect topping for these fluffy creations.

I can confidently say these waffles were much better than a box recipe, slightly better than a simple from-scratch recipe, but perhaps not quite reaching the peaks of gourmet brunch.

All in all, the process was a little involved and time-consuming, but the end result was a delicious, rich batch of hot and tasty waffles. If you have a White House chef at your disposal, you might request these every day. But for this mother of a toddler, I'll stick to boxed mixes and save these for a special weekend treat.

Surprising Facts About Every U.S. President

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Author Bennett Kleinman

August 24, 2023

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Between 1789 and today, 45 people have served as president of the United States. During their time in office, as well as throughout their lives before and after the presidency, these leaders saw accomplishments and setbacks that shaped the nation in ways both big and small. Some of these stories have gone down in history, while others — such as George Washington’s time as a whiskey distiller, or Franklin D. Roosevelt’s pioneering foray into television — are less well known. Here are some surprising and fascinating facts about every U.S. president in history.

George Washington Distilled Whiskey After His Presidency

In 1797, mere months after leaving office, George Washington opened a whiskey distillery on his vast Mount Vernon estate. The venture proved to be wildly successful, as the distillery produced nearly 10,000 gallons of the liquor in 1799 — far more than the average of 650 gallons produced by other Virginia-based distilleries at the time.

John Adams Was the First President to Live in the White House

When John Adams’ predecessor, George Washington, took office, the White House was just an idea. Irish American architect James Hoban was tapped to design the building, which was finally completed in 1800 during the Adams administration, allowing America’s second president to become the first White House resident.

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Thomas Jefferson Helped Popularize Macaroni and Cheese

Around the time he served as U.S. minister to France (1785 to 1789), future President Thomas Jefferson wrote, "The best maccaroni in Italy is made with a particular sort of flour called Semola, in Naples.” Jefferson tasked his private secretary, diplomat William Short, with tracking down a machine for making this dish, which he eventually had shipped to the U.S. The founding father was known for serving “maccaroni” — a term he used to describe all pastas — both with and without cheese to his guests. Jefferson even had his own written recipe for an early form of mac and cheese that was influenced by similar Italian recipes. The spoken and written accounts of those meals led to the dish’s increased popularity throughout the United States.

James Madison Was the Shortest President

Standing at just 5 feet, 4 inches, James Madison — who also weighed only around 100 pounds — was exactly a foot shorter than the tallest U.S. president, Abraham Lincoln (who stood at 6 feet, 4 inches). Madison’s closest presidential rivals in height were Benjamin Harrison and Martin Van Buren, both of whom were a wee bit taller at 5 feet, 6 inches.

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James Monroe Was the Third President to Die on the Fourth of July

In an eerie coincidence, three of the first five U.S. presidents passed away on the anniversary of America’s birth. Both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, while James Monroe passed away on Independence Day in 1831. On the flip side, Calvin Coolidge was the only president born on the Fourth of July, in the year 1872.

John Quincy Adams Served in Congress Before and After Being President

Only one U.S. president — John Quincy Adams — served in the House of Representatives after being elected commander in chief. Adams served as a senator from Massachusetts from 1803 to 1808, then as president of the United States from 1825 to 1829. He was elected to the House of Representatives shortly after his presidential term, serving from 1831 until his death in 1848.

Andrew Jackson Kept a Giant Wheel of Cheese in the White House

In 1836, President Andrew Jackson received a 1,400-pound block of cheese as a gift from a dairy farmer in New York, which he displayed in the White House for more than a year. Before leaving office, Jackson invited the public to the White House to come take some cheese. A firsthand account recalls men, women, and children hacking away at it until "the carpet was slippery with cheese."

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Martin Van Buren Was the First President Born a U.S. Citizen

Unlike the seven presidents who preceded him, Martin Van Buren wasn’t born under the authority of the British crown. Van Buren was born in 1782, several years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and was thus a U.S. citizen for his entire life. While his successor, William Henry Harrison, was also born under British rule, every POTUS since Harrison has been an American citizen from birth.

William Henry Harrison Delivered the Longest Inaugural Address

On a cold, wet day in March 1841, William Henry Harrison refused an overcoat as he delivered his lengthy 8,445-word inaugural address. Harrison died 31 days into his term as President, and while some initially attributed his death to the long, chilly speech, researchers now believe unclean drinking water was the cause of Harrison’s fatal illness.

John Tyler Was the First Vice President to Succeed to the Presidency

John Tyler — notoriously dubbed “His Accidency” — became president upon the death of William Henry Harrison, and served as commander in chief from 1841 until 1845. Tyler was the first vice president elevated to the highest office in the land due to such an event, though he served only the one abbreviated term before being succeeded by James K. Polk.

James K. Polk Oversaw the Greatest Territorial Expansion of Any President

Between 1845 and 1849, America’s 11th president oversaw the largest U.S. territorial expansion of any POTUS. The United States added upwards of 1 million square miles of land during Polk’s time in office, including land that now makes up modern-day Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado.

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Zachary Taylor Was Nominated for President Without His Knowledge

At the 1848 Whig Party convention, delegates nominated former military general Zachary Taylor as their candidate for president — and he was eventually elected to the position. However, Taylor wasn’t present at the convention and was nominated without his prior knowledge. He didn’t find out about his own nomination for several weeks, as he initially refused to pay postage on a letter sent his way alerting him of the news.

Millard Fillmore Was the Last President Who Was Not a Democrat or Republican

Since 1853, the American presidency has been dominated by politicians who belonged to either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. That trend began after Millard Fillmore, who was a member of the Whig Party during his presidency from 1850 until 1853. The Whig Party dismantled shortly after his term, and the two-party system has dominated ever since.

Franklin Pierce Defeated His Former General to Become President

The presidential election of 1852 was a race between Franklin Pierce and Winfield Scott, two men who served in the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War. Pierce served as brigadier general during the conflict, whereas Scott was commanding general of the entire U.S. Army. Despite Scott’s greater military rank, Pierce emerged victorious during the presidential election.

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James Buchanan Was the Only President to Remain a Lifelong Bachelor

James Buchanan was a lifelong bachelor, the only U.S. president who never married. He was engaged at one point, but his fiancée called off the engagement, after which Buchanan was reportedly brokenhearted and vowed not to marry. During his time in office, the president’s niece Harriet Rebecca Lane Johnston took on the hostess role usually filled by a First Lady.

Abraham Lincoln Was the First President to Appear on a Coin

In 1909, in honor of his 100th birthday, Abraham Lincoln became the first president to appear on a U.S. coin. The famous side profile bust design, created by engraver Victor David Brenner, is still in use today. Though some have called for the penny to be discontinued thanks to inflation cratering its value, there are still billions in circulation.

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Andrew Johnson Was the First President to Be Impeached

After Abraham Lincoln’s death, his Vice President Andrew Johnson took over the highest office in the land. A few years into his presidency, Johnson tested the newly passed Tenure of Office Act of 1867 by illegally firing Lincoln’s former secretary of war, Edwin Stanton. The House impeached Johnson for it, but the president survived removal from office by just one vote in the Senate.

Ulysses S. Grant’s Middle Initial Didn’t Stand for Anything

America’s 18th president was born Hiram Ulysses Grant. His now-famous middle initial “S” was the product of a clerical mistake. Grant was nominated to West Point by Ohio Congressman Thomas Hamer, who accidentally wrote Grant’s name in the application as “Ulysses S. Grant.” The confusion stemmed from the fact that Grant often went by Ulysses, rather than Hiram. The application called for a middle initial, so the confused Hamer added an “S” for Grant’s mother’s surname, Simpson. Despite Grant’s efforts to change the name, the middle initial stuck.

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Rutherford B. Hayes Had the First White House Telephone Installed

On May 10, 1877, during Rutherford B. Hayes’ administration, the White House’s first telephone was installed in the telegraph room. Hayes was supportive of this new technology, though rarely received phone calls. However, it was pretty easy to remember how to dial the White House, as its phone number was simply “1” at the time.

James A. Garfield Was the First Left-Handed President

In 1881, James A. Garfield was elected as the 20th president of the United States. The 19 who came before him were all right-handed, making Garfield the first lefty ever to hold the office. Garfield could also be said to be ambidextrous, as he was known to have the ability to write in Greek and Latin with different hands at the same time. Since his tenure, there have been many other left-handers in the Oval Office, including Gerald Ford and Barack Obama.

Chester A. Arthur Owned Approximately 80 Pairs of Pants

Chester A. Arthur was a fashionable president, dubbed “Elegant Arthur” and the “Dude of all the White House residents” by political commentators and cartoonists of the time. He was said to own around 80 pairs of pants, which was considered an extravagance at the time (and even today). Arthur was known for changing his pants multiple times a day, and often wore a tuxedo to dinner.

Grover Cleveland Served Two Nonconsecutive Terms

Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. When Cleveland ran for reelection after his first term in 1888, his opponent Benjamin Harrison won the electoral count despite Cleveland winning the popular vote. Four years later, Cleveland was successful in denying Harrison’s reelection and reclaiming his former role as president.

Benjamin Harrison Introduced Electricity at the White House

Electricity was first installed at the White House in 1891 during Benjamin Harrison’s time in office. Initially, the Harrison family was afraid of flipping any light switches, as they feared being electrocuted. Instead, they tasked electrician Irwin “Ike” Hoover with turning the lights off and on, sometimes resulting in lights burning overnight until Hoover returned the next morning to switch them off.

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William McKinley Was the First President to Ride in a Car

After taking a reportedly unenjoyable ride in an early automobile called the Stanley Steamer in 1899, President William McKinley is said to have remarked, “Stanley’s overoptimistic, I think, when he says those things will someday replace horses.” Though McKinley was wrong about the future of cars, he left a lasting mark on their history, as his Steamer ride was the first time a sitting president ever rode in an automobile.

Theodore Roosevelt Witnessed Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral Procession

When he was just 6 years old, young Theodore Roosevelt witnessed Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession in New York City. On April 25, 1865, the future POTUS gazed down from a second-story window as the late president passed the Roosevelt family mansion on Broadway. A perfectly timed photograph captured the image of two young boys — Teddy and his brother Elliott — looking out from the window that day.

William Howard Taft Also Served as Chief Justice

President Theodore Roosevelt supported William Howard Taft as his successor in 1908, but their relationship soured, and Roosevelt challenged President Taft for reelection during the 1912 campaign. (Both candidates lost the election to Woodrow Wilson.) Later, in 1921, President Warren G. Harding appointed Taft as chief justice of the United States. Taft preferred the role, once saying, “I don’t remember that I ever was president.”

Woodrow Wilson Was the Only President Buried in Washington, D.C.

Of all the former presidents who have since passed away, only one is buried within the nation’s capital. That former leader is Woodrow Wilson, a native of Virginia, who died in 1924 and was interred at the Washington National Cathedral in the District of Columbia.

Warren G. Harding’s Dog Sat in on Cabinet Meetings

The first White House animal to really achieve celebrity status was President Warren G. Harding’s pup, an Airedale terrier named Laddie Boy, who lived in Washington, D.C., during the Harding administration from 1921 to 1923. On March 5, 1921, one day after taking office, Harding interrupted his first official Cabinet meeting to introduce the dog, who had just arrived from Ohio. After that, Laddie Boy became a regular at Cabinet meetings, and even had his own chair at the table.

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Calvin Coolidge Had at Least 29 Pets Living in the White House

Calvin Coolidge practically ran a petting zoo out of the White House. The 30th president kept no fewer than 29 pets during his tenure on Pennsylvania Avenue. There were normal pets in large numbers, but there were some strange ones, too. Among them: a goose named Enoch, a mockingbird, Rebecca and Reuben the raccoons, Ebenezer the donkey, and Smoky the bobcat.

Herbert Hoover Was the First President Born West of the Mississippi River

Herbert Hoover was born on August 10, 1874, in West Branch, Iowa. Fifty-four years later, he was elected president, becoming the first POTUS born west of the Mississippi River. Hoover remains the only president born in Iowa, though there have been several other presidents born west of the Mississippi, including Harry Truman (in Missouri), Gerald Ford (in Nebraska), and Richard Nixon (in California).

Franklin D. Roosevelt Was the First President to Appear on Television

In 1939, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first president to appear on television when he attended the New York World’s Fair in Queens. The technology was fairly new at the time, so not many people actually tuned in. Less than a decade later, in October 1947, FDR’s successor, Harry S. Truman, delivered the first televised presidential address, asking Americans to cut back on grain and meat consumption to help a struggling Europe.

Harry S. Truman Signed a Bill Creating the Air Force

Back in 1907, just four years after the Wright brothers took their first successful flight, a small division of the U.S. Army was established to focus on aeronautics. The Army’s aviation segment grew over the years, serving an important role in both world wars. After World War II ended, President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, formally establishing the U.S. Air Force.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Was Responsible for America’s System of Highways

In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed one of the most ambitious public works projects in U.S. history into law, the Federal-Aid Highway Act. This feat of engineering added more than 41,000 miles of roadway across the United States. The interstate system provided both ease of travel for American citizens as well as strategic military benefits.

John F. Kennedy Helped Popularize James Bond

President John F. Kennedy was a fervent early supporter of the James Bond franchise, as he was gifted a copy of the novel Casino Royale while recovering from back surgery in 1954, long before Bond became widely popular. Kennedy was such a fan that during the 1960 presidential campaign, he even invited author Ian Fleming to his house, where the pair discussed foreign affairs. In 1961, shortly after JFK’s inauguration, the new president told reporters that Fleming’s novel From Russia With Love was among his favorite books, causing the James Bond series to spike in popularity.

Lyndon B. Johnson Held Meetings on the Toilet

LBJ had an unorthodox style of conducting meetings. In fact, sometimes he dragged aides into the bathroom, where he discussed official government business while on the toilet. The president even had phones installed in White House bathrooms so he could take calls while using the facilities.

Richard Nixon Participated in the First Televised Presidential Debate

On September 26, 1960, Richard Nixon went up against John F. Kennedy in the first-ever televised presidential debate. Kennedy was widely deemed the winner due to his charismatic presence on camera compared to Nixon, who refused to wear makeup and appeared visibly sweaty. Though Nixon fared better in future debates, this moment in TV history turned the early tides in favor of Kennedy, who went on to win the election.

Gerald Ford Was a Collegiate Football Star

Gerald Ford was an MVP football player at the University of Michigan, and played with the 1935 Collegiate All-Star football team. Ford turned down offers to play for the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers, instead choosing to pursue his law degree at Yale University, though he did serve as the Yale football team’s assistant coach during his time there.

Jimmy Carter Was the First President Born in a Hospital

Jimmy Carter, born in 1924, was the first U.S. president born in a hospital. All of Carter’s presidential predecessors were born in their parents’ homes, and it wasn’t until the early 20th century that hospital births became common nationwide. However, when baby Carter went home to the family farm, his house lacked plumbing and electricity, so the future president’s upbringing wasn’t quite so modern.

Ronald Reagan Loved Jelly Beans

More than three tons of Jelly Belly jelly beans were brought in for Ronald Reagan’s inauguration on January 20, 1981. The flavors were Very Cherry (red), Coconut (white), and Blueberry (blue), the last of which was made specifically for the event to complete the American flag colors. Why jelly beans? Reagan used them to quit smoking and was known to carry around a jar of the colorful candy.

George H.W. Bush Formalized the Tradition of Pardoning a Thanksgiving Turkey

The tradition of presidents pardoning turkeys has unofficial roots dating as far back as Abraham Lincoln, who’s said to have granted clemency to a Thanksgiving turkey in 1863. While JFK “unofficially” pardoned a turkey in 1963, the tradition was formalized in 1989 under George H.W. Bush, who officially granted a bird a presidential pardon that year.

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Bill Clinton Was the Only President Who Was a Rhodes Scholar

Bill Clinton experienced a thorough education, attending the prestigious Georgetown University beginning in 1964. Four years later, just prior to his college graduation, Clinton earned the esteemed Rhodes Scholarship, allowing him the opportunity to study at England’s Oxford University. Upon returning to the states, the future president earned a law degree at Yale Law School.

George W. Bush Once Owned the Texas Rangers Baseball Team

Before his full-time transition into politics, George W. Bush was part of the ownership group of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1998. He gave up his leadership role in 1994 upon being elected governor of Texas, but remained invested in the team until it was sold in 1998. Bush ran for president two years later, and was elected in 2000.

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Barack Obama Won an Emmy and Two Grammys

Barack Obama not only won a Nobel Peace Prize for his international diplomacy, but he also earned himself an Emmy Award and two Grammys. Obama won his Emmy for narrating the Netflix documentary series Our Great National Parks, and his two Grammys for audiobook recordings of his personal memoirs, The Audacity of Hope and Dreams From My Father.

Donald Trump Appeared in the Movie Home Alone 2

Before taking office, Donald Trump was a celebrity who made regular appearances in television and film, including a small role in the 1992 film Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. In the scene, a young Kevin McCallister — portrayed by Macaulay Culkin — encounters Trump in the lobby of the Plaza Hotel and asks him for directions.

Joe Biden First Sought the Presidency in 1987

America’s current president, Joe Biden, first ran for the nation’s highest office a whole 33 years before he actually proved victorious. Biden was elected to the Senate in 1972 and later ran for president in 1987 at age 44. He ended his campaign after a mere three months, opting to run again in 2008 (albeit unsuccessfully) and 2020, when he was finally elected.

Funny Facts About President Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, 1863 — Archive Photos via Getty Images

Author Kevin McCaffrey

August 3, 2023

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Abraham Lincoln led the United States through the Civil War and helped bring about the abolition of slavery. But the 16th president also had a lighter side. Lincoln had a varied list of interests outside of politics — he was a farmer, carpenter, animal lover, and inventor — and was known for his keen sense of humor. Here are five funny facts you might not know about the man known as the Railsplitter, Honest Abe, and, according to many historians, the nation’s greatest president.

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Lincoln Was Known to Respond to Insults With Jokes

Abraham Lincoln stood out, visually. He was the tallest president, at 6 feet, 4 inches (at a time when the average American male was 2 inches shorter than today), and he had the largest feet of any president, at a size 14. Consequently, Lincoln’s political opponents frequently took absurd shots at his appearance. In 1860, The Houston Telegraph wrote that he had “the leanest, lankiest, most ungainly mass of legs, arms, and hatchet face ever strung upon a single frame.” The Southern Confederacy similarly published a poem stating that “his nose was as long and as ugly and big / as the snout of a half-starved Illinois pig.” Lincoln took it all with characteristic good humor and was not above the occasional self-deprecating joke. He once recounted a story in which someone called him a “self-made man,” to which he replied, “Well, all I’ve got to say is that it was a damned bad job.” And when Illinois Senator Stephen Douglas called him “two-faced” in a debate, Lincoln famously replied, “If I had another face, do you think I’d wear this one?”

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Lincoln Grew His Beard at the Suggestion of an 11-Year-Old Girl

Lincoln’s opponents may have made fun of his appearance, but it was a letter from a supporter that led to him becoming the first fully bearded president. An 11-year-old named Grace Bedell saw a poster of a clean-shaven Lincoln that her father brought home from a county fair, and decided she needed to encourage the candidate to go for a glow-up. Bedell wrote Lincoln, “I have yet got four brothers and part of them will vote for you any way and if you let your whiskers grow I will try and get the rest of them to vote for you. You would look a great deal better for your face is so thin.” Lincoln wrote back to Bedell, seemingly considering her advice with the response, “Do you not think people would call it a piece of silly affection?” He ultimately grew out his beard after being elected president in November 1860. Just a few months later, Lincoln met Bedell when his train tour stopped in New York, and let her know that she was behind his makeover: “You see,” Lincoln told her, “I let these whiskers grow for you, Grace.”

Lincoln Let his Cat Eat at the Dining Room Table

An animal lover, Lincoln owned dogs and cats throughout his life, and he let his sons Tad and Willie keep rabbits, turkeys, horses, and goats at the White House. The animal that got the most special treatment, however, was Lincoln’s cat Tabby, whom he let dine at the table, including once during a formal dinner at the White House. When Mary Todd Lincoln said it was “shameful in front of their guests,” the president replied, “If the gold fork was good enough for [former President James] Buchanan, I think it is good enough for Tabby.” Lincoln thought highly of his cat Dixie, as well; he once remarked that she was “smarter than my whole Cabinet!”

Lincoln Kept Documents in His Top Hats

The stovepipe hat was one of Lincoln’s signature accessories, and the final hat he ever wore is now kept at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. The top hat helped the 6-foot-4 president tower over crowds even more than he naturally did, but the adornment wasn’t just used for looks: The president actually kept documents in the hat while he was wearing it. Lincoln would often remove papers (letters from friends, as well as speeches), from his hat while addressing constituents, and he was also known to take documents from atop his head and throw them down in front of generals in anger. According to some historians, the phrase “keep it under your hat” — meaning to keep something secret — comes from Lincoln’s habit.

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Lincoln Was Granted a Patent for an Invention That Didn’t Work

In May 1849, right after the end of his term in the U.S. House of Representatives, Lincoln was granted a patent for “adjustable buoyant air chambers,” which were meant to help buoy boats over shoals. He got the idea from his time working as a ferryman, when on two different occasions he was on a riverboat that got stuck after running aground on the Mississippi River. Lincoln whittled the patent model himself, and submitted sketches showing how the invention would work. The air chambers would be attached to the side of the boat and inflated to lift the vessel over an obstruction — at least, that was the theory. The device was never produced and it turned out that the amount of force needed to lower and fill the air chambers made it impractical. Nevertheless, Lincoln remains the only U.S. president ever to receive a patent.

7 Little-Known Facts About America’s Founding Fathers

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Author Darren Orf

July 12, 2023

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Few figures in U.S. history are as well known as the Founding Fathers — a cadre of generals, writers, politicians, lawyers, and one particular dentist who fought for and founded the United States. Although many of us know the broad facts about America’s founders, and almost as many myths (George Washington never actually cut down a cherry tree, for instance), there are still many little-known stories about these famous figures. Here are seven facts about the Founding Fathers that may surprise you.

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Paul Revere Was Also a Pioneering Dentist

Paul Revere went down in history for his famous “Midnight Ride,” when, as the story goes, he warned the residents of Lexington, Massachusetts, that “the British are coming” (though he likely never said that exact phrase). But what few people know is that Revere was also a local dentist. In 1770, five years before his “Midnight Ride,” Revere placed an ad in the Boston Gazette that read, “Fix [teeth] as well as any Surgeon-Dentist who ever came from London.” What’s more, Revere was the first person in the U.S. to practice dental forensics. One of Revere’s patients was physician Joseph Warren, the Patriot who alerted Revere about the British advance the night of April 18, 1775. Warren was killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill a few months later, and it took nine months — after the British evacuated Boston — for Revere to search the mass graves for his friend. As Warren’s dentist, Revere was able to successfully identify the body by noticing his own dental handiwork, the first known use of dental forensics in the new nation.

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Ben Franklin Invented a Musical Instrument Used by Mozart and Beethoven

In the mid-1700s, while spending time in Europe, Benjamin Franklin experienced what was a popular musical performance at the time: singing glasses. Intrigued by the beautiful sound of a wet finger on glass, Franklin developed an instrument known as a “glass armonica” in 1761. Working with a glassblower in London, Franklin altered the thickness of glass bowls interlocked along a rod in order to produce a range of pitches. Franklin had his share of odd ideas over the years (such as his failed phonetic alphabet), but the glass armonica was an 18th-century sensation. Some of the era’s greatest composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, wrote music for the instrument. However, it was largely forgotten by the 1820s — many musicians complained of dizziness and other symptoms after playing it, which may have been due to lead poisoning (the instrument used lead paint to color code each bowl) or the instrument’s vibrations. Today, a few musicians still practice the subtle, ethereal art of the glass armonica.

Alexander Hamilton Likely Lied About His Age

Thanks to the hit 2015 musical Hamilton, America’s first treasury secretary is now one of the most famous Founding Fathers. Yet historians are still unclear on one very basic piece of information about him: his age. Hamilton always insisted that he was born in 1757, but official documents from the Caribbean island of Nevis, where Hamilton was born, state the year as 1755. Experts have debated the reason behind this discrepancy, and most believe Hamilton lied about his age on purpose. Why? Well, there are a couple theories. One theory put forward by historians takes us back to 1768, when Hamilton was (probably) 13. That year his mother died, and since his father had abandoned the family years earlier, Hamilton was effectively an orphan. To score an apprenticeship with a local businessman, Hamilton may have lied and said he was 11, which was a more appropriate age to begin training for a trade. Ron Chernow, author of the biography Alexander Hamilton (the literary inspiration behind the musical), has offered a different theory, suggesting Hamilton might have altered his age on his application to Princeton to appear as a prodigy in the eyes of his peers.

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Thomas Jefferson Wrote His Own Epitaph and Didn’t Mention Being President

Before his death, Thomas Jefferson outlined a few specific instructions for his burial; for instance, he wanted the obelisk to be made of coarse stone. Always the writer, Jefferson also crafted his own epitaph highlighting the achievements for which he hoped to be remembered, and, as he put it, “not a word more.” It reads: “Here was buried / Thomas Jefferson / Author of the Declaration of American Independence / of the Statute of Virginia for religious freedom / & Father of the University of Virginia.”

Strangely, nowhere on this epitaph does Jefferson state that he was President of an entire nation; he also fails to mention that he served as governor of Virginia, secretary of state, and Vice President. It’s possible that Jefferson was more proud of his intellectual contributions than the moments he held power. In 1883, Jefferson’s descendants donated the original gravestone to the University of Missouri — a campus designed in a similar fashion to Jefferson’s University of Virginia and the first university in the region acquired by the Louisiana Purchase. Today, a new gravestone marks the founding father’s final resting place, but the epitaph remains the same — still omitting Jefferson’s time as the nation’s chief executive.

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Thomas Paine Wasn’t Popular Until Long After His Lifetime

Writer and political activist Thomas Paine played a unique role in America’s road to independence. Instead of fighting with a sword and musket (he didn’t prove to be a very good soldier), Paine fought for his fledgling country with his pen. One of his most important works is the political pamphlet Common Sense. Published on January 10, 1776, it lays out the American colonies’ united cause against the British Empire and King George III, and was one of the bestselling works in 18th-century America. His follow-up pamphlet The American Crisis (published between 1776 and 1783) opened with the iconic line, “These are the times that try men’s souls,” and gave much-needed encouragement to the struggling Continental Army.

Without Paine’s writing, which stirred up the revolutionary spirit throughout the colonies and persuaded many Patriots to fight on, there may not be an America, so it’s strange that at the time of his death (and for more than a century afterward), many Americans didn’t think very highly of him. When Paine died in 1809, only six people attended his funeral in New York’s Greenwich Village — an obituary at the time even wrote, “He had lived long, done some good, and much harm.” The “harm” referred to his radical anti-Christian views found throughout his work The Age of Reason. Although Paine was actually a deist and not an atheist, his reasoning was too controversial for a deeply religious America, and many U.S. schools avoided teaching Paine because of his radical views. But times changed, and in 1937 an article in the Times of London referred to Paine as “America’s Voltaire,” a reference to the influential 18th-century French writer who also questioned religious beliefs. Paine’s legacy has been on the mend ever since with statues and memorials dedicated to him throughout the U.S. Today his former cottage in New Rochelle, New York, is considered a U.S. National Historic Landmark.

George Washington Lost More Battles Than He Won

General George Washington embodies the phrase “losing the battle but winning the war,” because during the American Revolution, he lost more battles than he won. Despite some experience in the British army, Washington had little experience fielding a large fighting force, and the Continental Army was filled with soldiers who were far from professional fighters. However, Washington’s resilience, determination, and long-term strategy eventually won the day. According to Washington’s aide Alexander Hamilton, the plan was simple: “Our hopes are not placed in any particular city, or spot of ground, but in preserving a good army … to take advantage of favorable opportunities, and waste and defeat the enemy by piecemeal.” Washington, also aided by competent generals and assisted by the French navy, decisively ended British ambitions in the colonies at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.

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James Madison Is the Shortest President in U.S. History

Although James Madison’s signature doesn’t adorn the Declaration of Independence, as the nation’s fourth President and chief architect of the Bill of Rights, he’s widely regarded as one of the most influential Founding Fathers. Madison had a large impact on early U.S. history even though he is also the country’s shortest President thus far, standing just 5 feet and 4 inches tall. That makes Madison a full foot shorter than America’s tallest President, Abraham Lincoln (and no, that height doesn’t include Lincoln’s signature stovepipe hat).

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