Hi there! I’m John Green, and welcome to my fun fact salon. Today, we’re diving into some quirky and interesting facts about U.S. Presidents. Let’s get started!
Did you know that Gerald Ford, originally named Lesley Lynch King, Jr., was once a male model for Cosmopolitan magazine? That’s just the first of many surprising facts we’ll explore today.
Herbert Hoover, along with his personal doctor, invented a sport called Hooverball. It’s a mix of volleyball, tennis, and dodgeball, but played with a heavy medicine ball. Hoover was also the manager of Stanford’s football team, although he once forgot to bring the game ball to a big match!
Teddy Roosevelt loved boxing but decided it wasn’t a good look for a president to have a black eye. He also once threw a Swiss minister to the floor during a Judo demonstration. Talk about a hands-on president!
During his inauguration, Teddy Roosevelt wore a ring containing a lock of Abraham Lincoln’s hair. As a child, Teddy had watched Lincoln’s funeral procession, which left a lasting impression on him.
Ulysses S. Grant was fined $20 for speeding on a horse in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Franklin Pierce was arrested for accidentally running over someone with his horse, but the charges were dropped.
Bill Clinton is a fan of “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.” He even answered questions about the show on a quiz program. His cat, Socks, almost starred in a Super Nintendo game!
Richard Nixon proposed to his wife, Pat, on their first date. She didn’t say yes right away, so he spent two years driving her to dates with other guys until she agreed to marry him.
Warren G. Harding once lost a set of White House china in a poker game. George H.W. Bush considered Clint Eastwood as a vice-presidential candidate but chose Dan Quayle instead.
Harry Truman never pardoned a Thanksgiving turkey, despite popular belief. He did, however, have a bowling alley installed in the White House for his birthday.
John F. Kennedy was the first president to spare a Thanksgiving turkey, sending it to a farm instead of eating it.
Rutherford B. Hayes hosted the first Easter Egg Roll on the White House lawn, and Gerald Ford hosted a prom for his daughter Susan.
John and Abigail Adams had a dog named Satan, while Benjamin Harrison had opossums named Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection. Teddy Roosevelt’s kids had guinea pigs with names like Dr. Johnson and Fighting Bob Evans.
Jimmy Carter wrote a children’s book called “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer.” And did you know that Harry S. Truman’s middle name is just “S”? It’s true!
Thanks for joining me on this journey through presidential history. If you have any questions or fun facts you’d like to share, feel free to let us know!
Choose one of the presidents mentioned in the article and create a colorful poster highlighting their odd facts. Include images, fun illustrations, and key details to make your poster engaging. Present your poster to the class and share why you found these facts interesting.
Inspired by Herbert Hoover’s invention of Hooverball, work in small groups to invent your own sport. Combine elements from different sports and create a set of rules. Present your sport to the class and, if possible, demonstrate how it is played.
Choose a quirky fact about a president and create a short skit to act out in front of the class. Use props and costumes to bring the scene to life. This will help you understand the historical context and make learning fun.
Create a timeline that includes the odd facts about each president mentioned in the article. Use a large sheet of paper or digital tools to organize the facts chronologically. This will help you visualize the sequence of events and understand their historical significance.
Develop a trivia game based on the odd facts about U.S. Presidents. Write questions and answers on index cards and quiz your classmates. This activity will test your knowledge and help reinforce the fun facts you’ve learned.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, removing any inappropriate or potentially sensitive content while maintaining the overall context and information:
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Hi, I’m John Green, welcome to my Salon. This is mental_floss on YouTube. Gerald Ford, first named Lesley Lynch King, Jr., was a male model for Cosmopolitan, and that is the first of 45 facts today you’re going to learn about U.S. Presidents. To stay fit, Herbert Hoover and his personal physician invented their own sport—Hooverball. Why haven’t you seen highlights on Sports Center? Well, mostly because Hoover’s presidency was a failure in every regard. Also, the game was a cross between volleyball, tennis, and dodgeball, except much more intense because it was played with a medicine ball.
Speaking of Hoover and sports, young Herbert was the manager of the football team at Stanford. But he was a bit unprepared: at the first Stanford-Cal game in 1892, for instance, he forgot to bring the game ball. Noted boxer Teddy Roosevelt said he cut back on boxing in the White House because it was “rather absurd for a president to appear with a black eye or a swollen nose.” Equally surprising? Throwing a Swiss minister to the floor during a Judo demonstration, which Teddy also did at a state luncheon, even though Switzerland is neutral.
Incidentally, during his inauguration, Teddy Roosevelt wore a ring that contained a lock of Abraham Lincoln’s hair. This becomes slightly less unusual when you know that in 1865, six-year-old Teddy Roosevelt watched Abraham Lincoln’s funeral procession in New York City, which left an impression on him. Speaking of Lincoln’s hair, it was remarkable. When historians talk about how extraordinary Lincoln was as a man, a president, and a vampire hunter, they rarely mention that he could do this without any product. He could also rock more than one look. A reporter once described his hair as “Wild Republican hair.”
Ulysses S. Grant was once pulled over during his term in office for speeding—on a horse! He was fined $20 for exceeding the Washington speed limit. But that was hardly the most serious equine incident: Franklin Pierce, our handsomest president, was arrested during his first year in office for running over an elderly woman with his horse. Charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
Speaking of horses, Bill Clinton is a fan of “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic.” When he appeared on “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!”, Bill aced the questions about the show. We also learned at the Clinton Presidential Library that his cat almost had his own Super Nintendo game called “Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill.”
Richard Nixon proposed to his wife, Pat, on their first date. Pro tip: that is not a good idea. He pursued her for two years until she finally said yes. To spend time with her in the interim, Nixon acted as Pat’s chauffeur, driving her on dates with other guys. His favorite snack was cottage cheese with ketchup.
President Warren G. Harding bet a priceless set of White House china in a poker game—and lost. In 1988, George H.W. Bush briefly considered naming Clint Eastwood as his running mate. Instead, he chose Dan Quayle. Van Buren’s autobiography fails to mention his wife. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson issued the first Medicare card. The recipient? Harry Truman.
For his birthday in 1947, Harry’s friends had a bowling alley installed in the White House, but he hadn’t bowled since he was 19. Contrary to popular belief, Truman never granted clemency to a turkey. Several history sites claim that Truman was the first president to pardon a Thanksgiving Day turkey, but the Truman Library can’t find any records tying him to the custom. According to their research, when Truman was given a live turkey for the holidays, his family did what people expected them to do: they ate it.
So, who was the first president to give a bird a pass? JFK. In 1963, Kennedy announced he wouldn’t eat the turkey he’d been given. Instead, he sent it to a farm upstate where it had plenty of space to run and play. The first to host an Easter Egg roll on the White House lawn? Rutherford B. Hayes. The first to host a prom? Gerald Ford, for his daughter Susan.
The first to own a Muzak franchise? Lyndon B. Johnson. Before he was president, Grover Cleveland was a hangman. As sheriff of Erie County, he personally carried out two hanging sentences to save his district money. The great William Faulkner once refused a dinner invitation from President Kennedy’s White House, explaining that it was a long way to go just to eat.
Upon hearing the news of the notoriously quiet Calvin Coolidge’s death, Dorothy Parker reportedly asked, “How can they tell?” In 1933, an assassin shot at Franklin Delano Roosevelt five times while he was giving a speech. Five people were hit, but none were Roosevelt.
Now, let me share an excerpt from Ronald Reagan’s Diary from October 17, 1984: “Little Drew Barrymore—the child in ‘E.T.’—was one of the children I met. She’s a nice little person.” Speaking of Reagan, if you combine the electoral college results of the 1980 and 1984 elections, Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale 1014-62.
Harry S. Truman’s middle name? Just “S.” President Obama received some unusual gifts, including 50 pairs of boxer briefs from David Beckham, a pair of customized headphones from Ludacris, a $50k insurance policy in case he’s ever attacked by Australian crocodiles, and a pet donkey that a town in Colombia tried to send him.
Speaking of pets, John and Abigail Adams had a dog named Satan. Benjamin Harrison’s opossums were named Mr. Reciprocity and Mr. Protection. Teddy Roosevelt’s kids had some uniquely named guinea pigs: Dr. Johnson, Bishop Doane, Fighting Bob Evans, and Father O’Grady.
For a better name than all of those, we return to my portrait gallery. By the way, that is my family. Jimmy Carter once wrote a children’s book called “The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer.” Thanks for watching mental_floss on YouTube, made with the help of these nice people. If you have a great question you’ve always wanted the answer to, submit it in the comments, and we’ll try to answer as many as we can starting in April.
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Presidents – Leaders elected to be the head of a country, particularly in a republic. – George Washington was the first of the United States presidents, serving from 1789 to 1797.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – In history class, we learned about the causes and effects of the American Revolution.
Facts – Information that is true and can be proven. – One of the interesting facts about the Civil War is that it lasted from 1861 to 1865.
Turkey – A large bird native to North America, often associated with Thanksgiving in the United States. – During Thanksgiving, many families in the United States enjoy a meal that includes roasted turkey.
Boxing – A sport in which two people fight each other with their fists, usually wearing gloves. – Boxing was a popular sport in ancient Rome, where fighters were known as pugilists.
Pets – Animals kept for companionship and enjoyment. – Many presidents have had pets in the White House, including dogs, cats, and even exotic animals.
Model – A representation or example of something, often used for study or imitation. – The teacher used a model of the solar system to explain how the planets orbit the sun.
Sport – An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment. – Soccer is a sport that is played and loved by millions of people around the world.
Inauguration – The formal admission of someone to office, especially the President of the United States. – The inauguration of a new president is a significant event that takes place every four years in Washington, D.C.
Events – Occurrences or happenings, especially significant ones. – The signing of the Declaration of Independence was one of the key events in American history.
