Did you ever know that before becoming President of the United States, Lyndon Johnson taught at a small South Texas school? Likewise, there are dozens of such little-known presidential facts that you wouldn’t have come across yet. We have compiled a comprehensive list of such interesting presidential facts for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
Before They Were Presidents
Woodrow Wilson had the prestigious title of Princeton University’s President before he was elected as President of the United States.
James Garfield was the only President who was also a preacher.
William Howard Taft held dual titles in the office at the same time as serving as President. One of which was the President of the United States and the other as Chief of Justice.
In 1957 President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, for his essay collection “Profiles in Courage.”
President Washington planted and maintained a farm at this home in Mount Vernon before being elected president.
Jimmy Carter was head commander of a peanut farm owned by his family in Georgia before he took over office, as the President of the United States.
Barack Obama began his career as a Community Organizer in Chicago and was first elected as a senator for the state of Illinois. He then went on to be elected as a United States Senator, ultimately ending up as the first African American President of the United States.
The private office of the President is labeled as the “Oval Office”. Air Force One is the actual name of the plane (or planes) that the president flies aboard. The helicopters that are used for the presidents’ travel are named Marine One.
Harry S. Truman’s middle initial, “S”, is a tribute in honor of both of his grandfathers. One grandfather’s name was Anderson Shipp Truman and the other was Solomon Young.
How Former Presidents Sized Up
James Madison is known as the smallest President. In office from 1809-1817, he was the fourth President of the United States weighed less than 100 pounds, and only stood 5 feet 4 inches tall.
Abraham Lincoln was the tallest President. He remained in office from 1861-1865. Lincoln stood 6 feet and 4 inches tall.
The heaviest President recorded was William Howard Taft, who was in the office of the Presidency from 1909-1913 Taft often tipped the scale at over 300 pounds. After becoming stuck in the White House bathtub, he ordered a newly remodeled one. It has been said that the tub was large enough to hold four average-grown men.
The oldest President to be elected into office was Ronald Reagan. He was the 40th President and took office at the age of 69 years old. He held office from 1981 to 1989.
The youngest President ever elected into office was John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Kennedy served in the White House from 1961 to 1963, at which time he was assassinated. Kennedy was age 43 when he was inaugurated as President. However, the youngest President was Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt served from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt was the Vice President for President William McKinley and inherited the presidency when an assassination attempt was made on McKinley’s life.
In September of 1901, a demented terrorist fired at and shot McKinley twice in New York. McKinley died from his wounds making Theodore Roosevelt the next in line to take over office at the age of 42.
Some Cool Presidential Facts
Benjamin Harrison, who served from 1889 to 1893, was the 23rd President and the first to be in attendance at a baseball game. He witnessed the Cincinnati Reds overcome the Washington Senators, with a score of 7 to 4 in favor of the Cincinnati Reds, on June 6, 1892.
William Taft initiated the tradition of the Presidential First Pitch during baseball season. The development of the event took place on April 4th, 1910, on opening game day. The game was a match between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics.
Every President, except Jimmy Carter, has thrown out the opening pitch for at least one baseball season during their term.
