6 People You Didn’t Know Were on U.S. Currency

U.S. coins and bills

The history of U.S. currency is a fascinating journey that reflects the country’s growth, changing economic needs, and evolving cultural values. Before the United States was formed, each of the colonies issued its own currency. In 1690, the Massachusetts Bay Colony became the first to issue colonial notes in the form of paper currency. Later, during the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress issued paper currency to finance the war effort. These notes were called Continental currency, and some designs featured illustrations that reflected the values of the 13 colonies, such as an American soldier carrying a sword and a scroll with the words “MAGNA CHARTA.”

In the years following the Revolution, the dollar sign was adopted, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton established the Bank of the United States to create a credit system for the new government, and Congress passed the Mint Act establishing the coinage system. Early treasury notes were redeemable for gold, but it wasn’t until 1861 that the government began issuing paper money for the first time since the war. Known as “demand notes” and nicknamed “greenbacks” because of the green ink used to print them, they were used to pay salaries and government expenses, but they weren’t backed by gold and lost value. Following the Legal Tender Act of 1862, the government began issuing paper notes that replaced demand notes and became the official currency of the United States. Of the 53 people whose portraits have appeared on U.S. banknotes, here are six of the most surprising.

Photo credit: PAUL J. RICHARDS/ AFP via Getty Images

Salmon P. Chase

In 1862, during the Civil War, the first $1 legal tender banknotes were issued, featuring the Treasury seal and a portrait of Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase (possibly as a way to advance his own political career). While serving in the role during Abraham Lincoln’s administration, Chase was the architect of the national banking system, and he helped design the new paper money authorized under the National Bank Acts, which called for a system of nationally chartered banks and a uniform national currency. The same portrait of Chase that appeared on the $1 banknote was later used on the $10,000 banknote, the largest denomination ever in public circulation. Though currencies above $100 are no longer circulated, Chase National Bank, founded in 1877, was named in the former treasury secretary’s honor.

Photo credit: Joe Raedle/ Getty Images News via Getty Images

Martha Washington

First Lady Martha Washington holds the distinction of being the only woman to be prominently featured on U.S. paper currency to date. Her portrait appears on the $1 silver certificate, which was first introduced in 1886, 17 years after the legal tender dollar bill featuring George Washington. She appeared again on a slightly modified certificate in 1891. The $1 certificates weren’t phased out until 1957, making them the second-longest-issued paper currency in the nation’s history, after the $2 bill. As the name implies, the certificates were backed by the federal government’s silver reserves and were exchangeable for silver from the U.S. Treasury.

Running Antelope

Tȟatȟóka Íŋyaŋke, known in English as Running Antelope, was chief of the Oncpapa (or Hunkpapa) Lakota Sioux and an adviser to Sitting Bull during the Plains Indian Wars. In 1899, his image was used on the $5 silver certificate, making him the only Indigenous leader to be featured on U.S. paper currency. Some accounts say that his Lakota Sioux headdress was too tall for the engraving and so he was depicted wearing a Pawnee headdress instead, an unfortunate error on the part of the engravers as the Lakota Sioux and Pawnee were enemies.

Photo credit: GL Archive/ Alamy Stock Photo

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

On the $10 legal tender note issued in 1901, the central figure is an American bison, and explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark are depicted on either side of the animal. The banknote commemorated the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804 to 1806, the primary goal of which was to explore and map the newly acquired western territory of the United States. Similar to the Running Antelope silver certificate, the Lewis and Clark banknote served as a historical representation that romanticized the American West. It’s worth noting, however, that the bison depicted on the bill is actually believed to be modeled on a bison from either the Central Park Zoo in New York or the Washington Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Photo credit: Stock Montage/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

DeWitt Clinton

DeWitt Clinton was the mayor of New York City, the governor of New York, a New York senator, and a presidential candidate who challenged incumbent James Madison in 1812. Clinton’s focus during his time as governor was pushing for the development of a canal bridging the commercial markets between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. His critics referred to his project as “DeWitt’s Ditch” and “Clinton’s Folly,” but the Erie Canal proved so profitable that Clinton was commemorated on the $1,000 legal tender note issued in 1880. His portrait is centered on the note, with a vignette of Christopher Columbus, representing the New World and westward expansion, to his left.

Photo credit: Historical/ Corbis Historical via Getty Images

Harriet Tubman

Though U.S. currency has almost exclusively featured prominent political figures such as the Founding Fathers and U.S Presidents, there has been a push in recent years for greater diversity to reflect the nation’s history and values. An initiative during Barack Obama’s administration supported putting the image of Black abolitionist Harriet Tubman — who helped dozens of enslaved people escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad — on the front of the $20 bill, moving an image of President Andrew Jackson to the back. The redesign was intended to go into circulation in 2020 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote, but was delayed. The U.S. Treasury has since announced the new currency will debut in 2030.

Recommendations For You

We Asked an Anthropologist About the Gangs of 19th-Century New York

Five Points in 1827

Beginning in the 1830s, a combination of poverty, rapid industrialization, and immigration contributed to the rise of notorious street gangs throughout New York City. For the next several decades, these groups ran rampant until being largely replaced by organized crime syndicates toward the end of the 19th century. But during their heyday, gangs such as the Bowery Boys and Dead Rabbits ruled the streets of New York, particularly a neighborhood in southern Manhattan known as the Five Points. This turbulent period in New York City was marked by violence and corruption, events that were brought to the silver screen in Martin Scorsese’s 2002 historical drama Gangs of New York.

While that film is based on realities of the time, it also furthered several misconceptions about this crime-ridden era. We reached out to anthropologist R. Brian Ferguson, a professor at Rutgers University-Newark and author of the 2023 book Chimpanzees, War, and History, to learn more about this volatile period in NYC history. Ferguson has spent decades studying and teaching how conflict permeates throughout society, and was interviewed for the 2002 documentary Uncovering the Real Gangs of New York, a special feature included on DVD copies of the Scorsese film.

(Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.)

HISTORY FACTS: What was life like in New York City’s Five Points neighborhood?

FERGUSON: Well, the Five Points was from the intersection of different streets, and it began as a residential neighborhood but it was built on landfill from filling in a big lake. So it was wet, and it was sinking, which meant that it was full of diseases in the summer. By 1827, it was already disreputable. Mainly poor people who had no choice about where to live were there — it was the bottom for New York society.

For decades it became — not just in New York, but internationally — famous for incredible squalor and crime and drunkenness and prostitution. It became a symbol for all of that. It was also a highly political environment, and the politics of the time were more contentious in New York than what we’re seeing today in our own lives. It was really a tough time politically.

HISTORY FACTS: Speaking of politics, I know Tammany Hall was a big player in New York City. What was Tammany Hall and how did it play a role in local politics?

FERGUSON: Tammany Hall was the Democratic political machine. It won elections, gave out patronage; it was famous for corruption and vote fraud. But besides that, it was the only kind of government that did anything for the poorest of the poor. In the 1840s, it had found its base in immigrants who were pouring into New York, many of whom were Catholic, which Protestant America generally hated.

Tammany Hall was controlled by political ward politicians from the street up, using force. It wasn’t a top-down organization as it once was, but it was really responding to what was happening on the streets, like in the Five Points. The Five Points was its central power base because it was so densely populated. It was known as the “Bloody Ould Sixth Ward,” and the votes from there could control mayors, city government, even tip state and presidential elections.

Recommendations For You

The Catchy History of Presidential Campaign Slogans

“I Like Ike” badges

In the American political arena, presidential campaign slogans have a long and varied history. When a presidential hopeful is building their platform, they and their team choose slogans for how well they set the tone for the candidate’s agenda, message, and direction for the country. A memorable phrase can concisely convey a candidate’s vision for their presidential term as well as become a rallying cry for supporters. But crafting a winning campaign slogan isn’t just about having the catchiest saying — the right slogan can play a vital role in shaping the narrative of a campaign and influencing voter perceptions about the candidate.

A good campaign slogan can offer hope, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1932 slogan (and campaign song), “Happy Days Are Here Again,” or serve as a reminder of the prosperity enjoyed under an incumbent, such as William McKinley’s 1900 slogan, “Four More Years of the Full Dinner Pail.” On the other hand, a bad slogan, such as Democratic presidential candidate Alfred E. Smith’s 1928 slogan, “Vote for Al Smith and Make Your Wet Dreams Come True,” might cost a candidate an election as well as land on a list of the worst presidential campaign slogans ever. (Smith’s slogan was a reference to his anti-Prohibition stance that made him a “wet” candidate.) Here is a brief look at the evolution of presidential campaign slogans in the United States.

Photo credit: Universal History Archive/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The First Campaign Slogan

The first presidential campaign slogan is often attributed to Whig Party candidate William Henry Harrison in the election of 1840. Harrison used the catchy phrase “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too,” a reference to his military victory over Shawnee Chief Tecumseh at the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe, as well as Harrison’s running mate, John Tyler. The rhyming refrain helped promote Harrison’s image as a war hero and a man of the people. It also contributed to his successful campaign against the incumbent President, Martin Van Buren, and played a significant role in shaping the way presidential candidates used slogans to support their platforms in future elections. Harrison’s campaign for President lasted longer than his presidency; he developed pneumonia and died in April 1841, one month into his term, becoming the first President to die in office.

Photo credit: Michael Ochs Archives via Getty Images

A Catchy Rhyme Helps Big Time

Campaign slogans need to be short and memorable, which has led to a history of using rhymes, puns, and plays on words to craft phrases that carry a strong message and are still succinct enough to fit on a button. Calvin Coolidge used a play on his name with the 1924 slogan “Keep Cool and Keep Coolidge,” while Lyndon B. Johnson’s winning campaign in 1964 created a rhyme with his initials: “All the Way With LBJ.” (Johnson was inspired by Adlai Stevenson’s catchy slogan in his 1952 failed run against Dwight D. Eisenhower, “All the Way With Adlai.”)

Dwight D. Eisenhower’s successful 1952 campaign, meanwhile, was notable for its own simple rhyming slogan: “I Like Ike.” The slogan appeared on a wide variety of campaign materials and was featured in one of the first televised political endorsements, which included a song written by Irving Berlin and animation by Walt Disney Studios. The catchy jingle incorporated Eisenhower’s popular catchphrase in the lyrics: “You like Ike, I like Ike, everybody likes Ike (for President) / Hang out the banner and beat the drum / We’ll take Ike to Washington.” The slogan served Eisenhower so well in his 1952 presidential bid that his successful 1956 run featured a slightly revised version: “I Still Like Ike.”

Some Slogans Have Been Used By More Than One Candidate

Campaign slogans have changed over time to reflect the shifting political, social, and economic landscape of the United States — but some slogans have done so well that they’ve been adopted and reused. Two Presidents successfully used “Don’t Swap Horses in Midstream,” encouraging voters to support the incumbent President during times of conflict. Abraham Lincoln used the metaphor as one of his slogans during the Civil War in 1864, and 80 years later in 1944, FDR recycled it in the lead-up to his unprecedented fourth-term win during World War II.

In more recent political history, Barack Obama borrowed one of his most effective and powerful campaign slogans from 1970s labor organizers César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, who led the United Farm Workers of America. Obama loosely translated their catchphrase “Sí, Se Puede!” into the English “Yes, We Can!” Donald Trump’s 2016 slogan “Make America Great Again” was also previously used, first in promotional materials for Barry Goldwater’s failed 1964 presidential bid, and again as “Let’s Make America Great Again” by Ronald Reagan in 1980.

Photo credit: Independent Picture Service/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Power of Unofficial Slogans

Some historians and political consultants believe that social media may mark the end of official campaign slogans. Instead,t unofficial slogans in the form of memes and hashtags shared by supporters may prove to be even more effective campaign tools. Even before social media, an unofficial slogan set the tone for Bill Clinton’s first presidential campaign. Clinton’s platform utilized a handful of lofty and aspirational slogans, including “For People, for a Change,” “It’s Time to Change America,” and “Putting People First.” But while all of the official slogans referenced a serious regard for voters’ concerns, none of them specified what those concerns might be. Then an in-house phrase coined by lead strategist James Carville to describe Clinton’s platform became the defining catchphrase of the 1992 campaign. “It’s the Economy, Stupid” may not have been an official campaign slogan, but it caught the attention of voters who were tired of the lingering effects of the 1990 recession, and it helped Clinton define his campaign message.

Recommendations For You

6 Things You Didn’t Know About the Kennedys

JFK with his family

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.

Despite a number of other tragedies over the years, the Kennedy family’s legacy endures in their commitment to public service and social causes. Here are six little-known facts about this famous political family.

Photo credit: Underwood Archives/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

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.

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.

Photo credit: Washington Bureau/ archive Photos via Getty Images

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.

Recommendations For You

4 Secrets of the CIA

Seal of the CIA

The Central Intelligence Agency has its fingers in many pies, from counterterrorism to offensive cyber operations and covert paramilitary actions. The mere mention of the CIA brings with it a certain mystique, conjuring up images of secret agents, globe-trotting spies, and clandestine activities. It’s no surprise, then, that the agency has featured heavily in numerous Hollywood movies, from Spy Game and Zero Dark Thirty to The Bourne Identity and Bridge of Spies.

The CIA was formed in 1947 by President Harry Truman, partly as a replacement for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), which was disbanded after World War II. As a civilian intelligence service and part of the U.S. Intelligence Community, it is officially tasked with gathering, processing, and analyzing national security information from around the world. Unlike the FBI, the CIA has no law enforcement function — it’s also not allowed to collect information regarding “U.S. Persons,” although the agency’s actions have often proven controversial in that regard.

Unsurprisingly, the CIA has kept — and uncovered — many secrets over the decades. Here are some of the most fascinating secrets from the agency’s history, from innovative spy techniques to daring covert missions.

Photo credit: Hum Images/ Alamy Stock Photo

The CIA Had Plenty of Secret Gadgets

The CIA created a range of secret gadgets that could have been straight out of a James Bond movie. The extensive list of low- and high-tech trickery includes hollow silver dollars for holding messages or film; miniature compasses hidden in cufflinks; pigeon-mounted mini cameras; a listening device designed to look like tiger excrement; and a robot fish called Charlie that secretly collected water samples. Perhaps most impressive of all was the “insectothopter,” a tiny robotic dragonfly that could eavesdrop on otherwise inaudible conversations.

Photo credit: Michal Balada/ Shutterstock

The CIA Used the Skyhook Before Bond and Batman

In 1962, the CIA launched a mission — code-named Project COLDFEET — to investigate an abandoned Soviet research station on a floating ice island in the Arctic. Getting there was easy enough: Two Navy pilots secretly parachuted down onto the ice and began their search for information. The tricky part was how to recover the pilots and the information they had retrieved, as it was impossible to land an aircraft on the ice. So, the CIA decided to use its new Fulton surface-to-air recovery system, colloquially known as the Skyhook. The agents on the ground deployed a helium balloon that lifted a 500-foot line into the air. A slow-moving B-17 plane, with the Skyhook device attached to its nose, then flew overhead and snagged the line with the agents attached to the end of it, sweeping them into the air, at which point they were winched aboard the aircraft. Sound familiar? You might have seen the Skyhook used later by James Bond in 1965’s Thunderball and Batman in 2008’s The Dark Knight.

Anthropologists and Archaeologists Made Great Spies

In Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008), Indy reveals that he once worked for the OSS, the predecessor of the CIA. This is a believable part of the character’s backstory, as the OSS and other intelligence agencies often recruited archaeologists like Indy during World War I and World War II. The same is true for the CIA, which has routinely enlisted archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and other academics for intelligence-gathering purposes. It makes sense, as these professionals already have the perfect reason to be conducting fieldwork in foreign countries — and they tend to be somewhat more discreet than Indiana Jones.

Photo credit: Tara Lambourne/ Shutterstock

Some Highly Trained Spies Weren’t Human

Animals have been used in espionage since the days of the ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks, who used homing pigeons and dogs to deliver secret messages (the latter carrying missives in their collars). The CIA took things to a whole new level, however, with highly trained nonhumans undertaking a range of complex tasks. In a secret 1960s project known as Project OXYGAS, dolphins were trained to attach explosive devices to enemy ships. Birds have proved useful, too. Camera-carrying pigeons could take higher-quality photos than spy satellites operating at the time, while ravens were trained to deliver and retrieve small objects of up to 1.4 ounces from otherwise inaccessible buildings. The CIA also spent $20 million trying to train cats to eavesdrop while fitted with recording devices. Known as Operation Acoustic Kitty (seriously), the project was eventually abandoned after a feline operative was tasked with listening in on the conversation between two men sitting in a park. The cat, totally uninterested in any previous training, wandered off and was hit by a passing car.

Recommendations For You

Surprising Facts About Every U.S. President

Presidential debate, 1960

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.

Photo credit: John Greim/ LightRocket via Getty Images

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.

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.

Photo credit: MPI/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

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."

Photo credit: Heritage Images/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: Hulton Archive/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: Hulton Archive/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: Kean Collection/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

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.

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.

Photo credit: Photo 12/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: George Rinhart/ Corbis Historical via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: FPG/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: Joe Sohm/Visions of America/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: The White House/ Getty Images News via Getty Images

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.

Recommendations For You

9 Facts About the Vice Presidents Who Succeeded to the Presidency

Gerald Ford Sworn In 1874

In the United States presidential line of succession, it falls to the Vice President to succeed to the presidency if their predecessor is no longer able to carry out the duties of the office. This has happened nine times in the history of the country, under a wide variety of circumstances. Some Vice Presidents, such as Calvin Coolidge, succeeded to the top spot during a time of relative peace and economic prosperity. Others, such as Harry Truman, were appointed to the office in a climate of war and political turmoil. Vice Presidents only inherit the presidency under unusual circumstances, and each instance is unique. Here are nine facts about the U.S. Vice Presidents who have succeeded to the presidency.

Photo credit: GraphicaArtis/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

John Tyler Was Nicknamed “His Accidency”

John Tyler was elected Vice President in 1840 as the running mate of William Henry Harrison. Unfortunately, Harrison’s administration did not last long: The President died in 1841 just 31 days after taking office, which meant Tyler quickly found himself the nation’s commander in chief. Tyler’s presidency was marked by tension with his own Whig Party. He vetoed bills proposed by Whig leaders in Congress and began to advocate for policies that broke with the Whig Party line. As a result, the Whigs expelled President Tyler from their party, and some even called for his impeachment on the grounds that he had abused his veto power. To further disparage Tyler, his political critics saddled him with the nickname “His Accidency,” a pejorative reference to the fact that he had become President through chance, and was never elected to the office.

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

When Vice President Millard Fillmore ascended to the presidency in 1850, after his predecessor Zachary Taylor died following a mysterious illness, he did so as a member of the Whig Party, which was founded in 1830 to oppose the policies of then-President Andrew Jackson, a Democrat. President Fillmore proved to be the last Whig Party member to become President of the United States. The party largely disbanded a year after his administration ended in 1853, with many of its anti-slavery members branching off to form the Republican Party. In fact, Fillmore was the last U.S. President to belong to neither of the two major parties that continue to dominate American politics today. Fillmore’s successor, Franklin Pierce, was a Democrat, and every U.S. President since has been either a Democrat or a Republican.

Andrew Johnson Was the First President to Be Impeached

Andrew Johnson became President in 1865, during one of the most turbulent moments in American history. The Civil War had just ended, and the nation was still reeling from that violent conflict and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. When Vice President Johnson took office following Lincoln’s death, his principal task was the reconstruction of the former Confederate states. President Johnson, a Democrat from Tennessee, was criticized by Republicans in Congress for being too lenient with former members of the Confederacy, and for vetoing legislation designed to protect the rights of newly freed Black Americans.

The escalating tensions between Johnson and the congressional Republicans reached a crisis point in 1868, when the President fired Edwin Stanton, his Republican secretary of war, without the required congressional approval. In response, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson, marking the first time in U.S. history such an action had been taken against the President. Johnson narrowly escaped conviction by just one vote, but by the end of his first term, he found himself with few political allies in Washington, and was not elected to a second term.

Chester A. Arthur Earned the Approval of Mark Twain

Chester A. Arthur succeeded to the presidency following the death of President James Garfield in 1881. During Arthur’s one term in office, he advocated lower tariffs for businesses and tax cuts for American citizens. President Arthur also passed the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act, which made some federal government jobs attainable only through merit-based examinations instead of through the “spoils system.” The “spoils system” allowed politicians to hire and fire civil servants based on their loyalty and political affiliations, and had frequently been denounced as a tool of political corruption. Through policies like these, Arthur managed to earn the praise of one of the sharpest and most unsparing satirists of his day, Mark Twain. Though Twain was noted for his pointed criticisms of many politicians, he claimed that it would be “hard to better President Arthur’s administration” — glowing praise indeed from a writer who once called President Teddy Roosevelt “the most formidable disaster that has befallen the country since the Civil War.”

Theodore Roosevelt Was the First President to Win a Nobel Peace Prize

Theodore Roosevelt was Vice President to William McKinley until President McKinley’s death in 1901. During his time in the White House, President Roosevelt became many things: a conservationist, a trust buster, and, in 1906, a Nobel Prize-winning peace negotiator. From 1904 to 1905, Japan and Russia were locked in the Russo-Japanese War over conflicting imperial ambitions in Manchuria and Korea. The war threatened to destabilize Asia and disrupt the balance of power in the Pacific, so Roosevelt decided to intervene to de-escalate the conflict. In August 1905, Roosevelt invited delegates from Japan and Russia to convene in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for peace negotiations. The President presided over the peace talks for 30 days before the two warring countries ended the conflict by signing the Treaty of Portsmouth. For his role in brokering the peace, Roosevelt was awarded the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize, making him the first U.S. President to receive the honor.

Calvin Coolidge Was Administered the Oath of Office by His Own Father

After serving as Vice President from 1921 to 1923, Calvin Coolidge became President of the United States after Warren G. Harding passed away following a sudden illness. Coolidge was at his family home in Vermont when he learned that Harding had died and he needed to take the oath of office. While the oath is typically administered by the chief justice of the United States, Coolidge wound up going for someone less formal: his own father. As a notary public, Coolidge’s father, John Calvin Coolidge Sr., had the legal power to administer the oath. The modest inauguration ceremony was attended by just a handful of people, and since it was the middle of the night and the house had no electricity, the new President took his late-night oath by the flame of a kerosene lamp.

Harry Truman Had the First Televised Presidential Inauguration

Harry S. Truman had been Vice President for just 82 days when Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away in 1945. After completing his first presidential term, during which he oversaw the end of World War II, Truman ran for a second term (the first to which he would need to be elected) in 1948. In a famous upset, the incumbent President beat his Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey. When it came time for Truman to take the oath of office, the event was a far cry from Calvin Coolidge’s candlelit affair. The inauguration ceremony was the first in history to be broadcast on television, and was watched by some 10 million viewers.

Photo credit: PhotoQuest/ Archive Photos via Getty Images

Lyndon B. Johnson Was Elected by the Widest-Ever Margin at the Time

Lyndon B. Johnson’s first presidential term began in 1963 under tragic circumstances following the death of President John F. Kennedy. During his time in office, Johnson laid out his “Great Society” platform, which included new social policies such as Medicare and numerous laws designed to alleviate poverty. In 1964, when it was time for Johnson to seek election to a second term, it quickly became clear that his first term had made a good impression. Johnson won the presidential race against Republican challenger Barry Goldwater by 15 million votes, the widest margin of any U.S. presidential election at the time. (Richard Nixon later won the 1972 election by nearly 18 million votes, and Ronald Reagan won reelection in 1984 by around 16.8 million votes.)

Gerald Ford Replaced a Resigning Vice President and a Resigning President

Though Gerald Ford served as President Richard Nixon’s Vice President from 1973 to 1974, he was never Nixon’s running mate. Ford was a leading Republican congressman when, in 1973, Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned amid a corruption scandal. To fill the vacancy left by Agnew’s resignation, President Nixon appointed Ford as his new VP. Ford’s tenure as Agnew’s replacement didn’t last long, however, because just one year later he became Nixon’s replacement. Following the events of the Watergate scandal, Nixon resigned the presidency in 1974, leaving Ford to take his place in the Oval Office. To this day, Ford remains the only person to serve as U.S. President without winning a general election as either a presidential or vice presidential candidate.

Recommendations For You

6 Little-Known Facts About the White House

White House, mid-1840s

The White House is undoubtedly one of Washington, D.C.’s most recognizable landmarks. But while many Americans have seen it in person or on the back of a $20 bill, there’s still much to be learned about the history of this iconic building. From its massive renovations to the many rooms that were converted into entertainment venues, the White House boasts a rich history that makes it one of the most remarkable places in the nation’s capital.

When George Washington took office as the first President of the United States, the White House was just a concept. In fact, original proposals called for an even grander “President’s Palace” that would have been four times bigger than the White House we know today. Architect James Hoban later proposed a more modest neoclassical design based on the Leinster House in Dublin, and he was chosen to spearhead the project. Upon its completion in 1800, John Adams became the first President to call the White House home, and the building’s legacy has only grown from there. Here are six little-known facts about the White House.

The White House Has a Bowling Alley, Movie Theater, and Pool

The White House is not only a place to conduct government business; it’s also the first family’s home. Over the years, Presidents and their families have repurposed some of the building’s 132 rooms into entertainment venues to make their lives more enjoyable. One such room is the White House bowling alley, which Harry Truman opened in 1947 in the West Wing. While Truman wasn’t a frequent bowler himself, White House staffers formed the White House Bowling League in 1950. Those original lanes were closed by Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955, but years later, Richard Nixon opened a new bowling alley directly underneath the North Portico.

Other notable spaces found throughout the White House include a 40-seat movie theater, which was converted from a former cloakroom in the East Wing. During Bill Clinton’s administration, a third-floor sitting room was repurposed as a music room, where the President practiced playing saxophone. The White House also has a storied history of swimming pools; the first White House swimming pool was built indoors for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933, as he often swam for exercise in the wake of his polio diagnosis. In 1975, Gerald Ford commissioned the construction of an outdoor pool that he proudly showed off by taking a dip in front of reporters on July 5 of that year. This secluded escape is located just south of the West Wing, and remains open to Presidents and their families.

The Building Was Nearly Condemned in 1948

The White House wasn’t always treated with the same care and respect that it is today. In 1948, during the Truman administration, the building was deemed on the verge of structural collapse, forcing President Truman to move into the nearby Blair House (a building normally used as the President’s guest residence). Analysts determined that the White House deteriorated in part throughout FDR’s presidency, as the Depression and World War II caused Roosevelt to put off much-needed repairs.

Though Truman wasn’t pleased with the displacement, he also wasn’t in a rush to return to an unsafe building. The President authorized an extensive renovation that lasted from 1948 until 1952, which saw the digging of deeper foundations and the addition of a steel frame skeleton within the White House’s interior. Truman had previously installed a balcony outside the presidential living quarters, which was completed in early 1948. While most of the White House had to be revamped, this balcony was one of the few elements left untouched, as it was built so well.

The White House Requires 570 Gallons of Paint Every Few Years

Keeping the White House so white is an expensive and time-consuming process. The building requires a new coat of paint every four to six years, and recently underwent an extensive recoating in 2019. The cost of this massive paint job is around $85,000, as workers use a special German-made paint by Duron. The specific shade — called Whisper White — is used for the preservation of historic buildings, and costs up to $150 per gallon.

While $20,000 for new paint may seem like a lot, it’s actually a small portion of the total annual maintenance costs needed to keep the White House up and running. The 2023 Financial Services and Appropriations Act set aside $2.5 million in annual funds for White House upkeep.

Photo credit: Encyclopaedia Britannica/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The White House Endured Two Massive Fires

On August 24, 1814, the White House was lit aflame by British troops as part of the Burning of Washington, an invasion during the War of 1812. The fire devastated the structure, and only two items were salvaged that still hang in the modern White House today: a full-length portrait of George Washington that was saved by First Lady Dolley Madison, and a small wooden medicine chest. The rebuilding process proved to be an arduous one, and Congress even considered temporarily moving the nation’s capital. However, in the end, the White House’s original architect, James Hoban, was tasked with rebuilding the President’s home, and repairs were completed in 1817.

Tragedy struck the White House yet again on Christmas Eve in 1929, as a fire swept through a storage area containing 200,000 government pamphlets. Aides were alerted to the blaze around 8 p.m., while President Herbert Hoover hosted a Christmas party downstairs. After being informed of the inferno, the President and his aides rushed to the executive offices to save important documents, the desk chair, and a presidential flag — just in time. More than 100 firefighters rushed to the White House, and despite working in freezing temperatures, they successfully put out the fire around 10:30 p.m. Though the building on the whole was still usable, the executive offices were heavily damaged and the press room destroyed, necessitating repairs that continued until the following spring.

Photo Credit: Library of Congress/ Corbis Historical via Getty Images

The Building Wasn’t Officially Named the White House Until 1901

The White House was painted white in 1798 to protect the building’s sandstone exterior, and the press began colloquially referring to it as the “White House,” though it was just a nickname at the time. Throughout the 19th century, the building was formally known as the “President’s House” or “Executive Mansion,” two names that were used until Theodore Roosevelt took office in 1901.

On October 17, 1901, Roosevelt directed his secretary, George B. Cortelyou, to alert various cabinet departments of the building’s new name. Roosevelt’s bulletin mandated the change of “the headings, or date lines, of all official papers and documents requiring [Roosevelt’s] signature, from ‘Executive Mansion’ to ‘White House.’” The President believed that “Executive Mansion” was too generic a term used around the world. Roosevelt determined that by changing the name to the “White House,” the building would be instantly recognizable as the home of the President of the United States.

Jackie Kennedy Won an Emmy for Her Televised Tour of the White House

While President Truman worked to ensure the stability of the White House’s structure, it was First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy who revolutionized its interior. In 1941, long before she became a resident of the White House, Jackie toured the building with her mother and sister, and was dismayed by the lack of historical furnishings. Shortly after moving in with her husband in 1961, she made it her mission to overhaul the White House experience and create a more comfortable environment that also highlighted the building’s extensive legacy.

Enlisting the help of Americana collector Henry Francis du Pont, French designer Stéphane Boudin, and decorator Dorothy Parish, the First Lady began work on a massive restoration project. Her goal was not merely to redecorate but to showcase the history of the mansion and the country itself. From outfitting the Blue Room with French furniture that President James Monroe had ordered back in 1818, to redesigning the Treaty Room in a Victorian style, Jackie left almost no corner of the White House untouched. On February 14, 1962, Mrs. Kennedy led a guided tour of the building that was broadcast on CBS and NBC, drawing an estimated 80 million viewers and earning an honorary Emmy Award.

Recommendations For You

7 Little-Known Facts About America’s Founding Fathers

Battle of Monmouth, 1778

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.

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.

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.

Photo credit: Classic Image/ Alamy Stock Photo

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.

Photo credit: Patrick Guenette/ Alamy Stock Vector

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.

Photo credit: Three Lions/ Hulton Archive via Getty Images

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.

Photo credit: Science History Images/ Alamy Stock Photo

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).

Recommendations For You

13 Facts About the 13 Original Colonies

Savannah, Georgia

Founded in the 17th and 18th centuries on the East Coast of what is now the U.S., the 13 British colonies in America were established for different reasons and governed in different ways. Maryland, for instance, was founded as a religious haven for English Catholics, while royal colonies such as New Hampshire were established to generate wealth for England. Despite their differences, all 13 colonies eventually became united in their resistance to British rule. At the start of the American Revolutionary War in 1775, there were more than 2.5 million people — a mix of European colonists, enslaved Africans, and Indigenous peoples — living in the colonies, from New Hampshire in the North to Georgia in the South. Here are 13 interesting facts that you may not have learned about the 13 original colonies.

Photo credit: Heritage Images / Hulton Fine Art Collection via Getty Images

New Hampshire Was the First Colony to Grow Potatoes

New Hampshire was the first of the American colonies to form an independent government, as well as the first colony to have a state constitution. Yet it’s the humble potato that might be the Granite State’s biggest contribution to American history. Potatoes were brought to the colonies several times during the 1600s, but it wasn’t until 1719 that the first permanent potato patches were established by Scotch-Irish immigrants near Londonderry, New Hampshire. From there, the popularity of potatoes spread, making them the most commonly consumed vegetable in the U.S. today — and, since 2013, the state vegetable of New Hampshire.

Massachusetts Was Named for Its Indigenous Peoples

In 1620, English settlers, many of whom were religious pilgrims, arrived on the Mayflower in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, forming the second permanent settlement of British colonists in the New World (after Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607). A larger group of English Puritans followed soon after, and established the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Indigenous peoples had been living on the land for thousands of years, and the colony was named for the Massachusett tribe, making the Bay State the first of the colonies to be given an Indigenous name. The name “Massachusett” comes from the Algonquin word “Massa-adchu-es-et,” which roughly translates as “great-hill-small-place.”

Photo credit: Interim Archives / Archive Photos via Getty Images

Connecticut’s Royal Charter Was Hidden in a Tree

In 1662, the Colony of Connecticut was granted a royal charter by England’s King Charles II. But in 1686, King James II, after taking the throne following his brother’s death, decided he wanted the royal charters returned so he could establish the Dominion of New England. James wanted to combine the New York, New Jersey, and New England colonies under the leadership of one royal-appointed official. The colonists refused, because the charter guaranteed them the ability to self-govern and elect their own officials without interference from England. Legend has it that while the matter was being debated in Hartford between the royal governor and the colonists, the candles in the meeting hall suddenly went out. Under cover of darkness, the royal charter was spirited away by colonial captain Joseph Wadsworth and hidden in the trunk of a nearby white oak tree. The tree came to be known as the Charter Oak, a symbol of freedom and, in time, the Connecticut state tree.

Photo credit: UniversalImagesGroup / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Rhode Island’s Founder Was Kicked Out of Massachusetts

The founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, also established the first Baptist church in colonial America, and his views about religious freedom led to his banishment from the Massachusetts colony. In 1636, the banished Williams and his followers purchased land from the Narragansett people (Williams had disapproved of how land was being taken from the Indigenous population) and settled on Narragansett Bay. Rhode Island was governed on the basis of religious freedom and the separation of church and state — making it a haven for religious minority groups, including Baptists, Quakers, and Jews. In 1763, the Touro Synagogue was dedicated in Newport, Rhode Island, making it the first Jewish synagogue in New England and only the second synagogue in the colonies, after the one in New York.

Photo credit: ullstein bild Dtl. / ullstein bild via Getty Images

New York Was Established by the Dutch

When the Pilgrims left England in 1620, they were sailing for the Hudson River, because they had heard good reports about the area following English explorer Henry Hudson’s Dutch-sponsored journey in 1609. Unfavorable weather conditions led the pilgrims to settle near Cape Cod instead, but their impending arrival in the New World spurred the Dutch traders to colonize Manhattan before the English could arrive and stake their claim. The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624, encompassing parts of modern-day New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey, and Dutch settlers established the settlement of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan. Forty years later, the English took control and renamed the area New York. The city went on to become the first United States capital after the American Revolution.

Photo credit: Smith Collection/Gado / Archive Photos via Getty Images

New Jersey Is Home to One of the Oldest Colonial Legends

Early American history is filled with myths and legends, many of which were based on Indigenous folklore. One of the most enduring mythical creatures from the original colonies is the Jersey Devil, a terrifying beast said to stalk the forests of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens (also called the Pinelands). Different versions of the story exist, but all share a similar narrative: In 1735, a woman named Mother Leeds learned she was pregnant with her 13th child and cried out, “Let it be the devil!” She then gave birth to a monstrous “devil baby” who flew out the window into the forest. The legend is rooted in the different cultural and religious beliefs held by both the European colonists and the Lenape people who lived in the area.

Photo credit: Print Collector / Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Pennsylvania Was Founded as Payment for a Debt

Several of the original colonies were established under proprietary charters, with land grants given to individuals based on their relationship with England’s king. In 1681, English Quaker writer and intellectual William Penn secured a large grant of land from King Charles II as payment for a debt the king owed to Penn’s father. The king gave the younger Penn the territory between Maryland and New York, allowing Penn to establish the Province of Pennsylvania, named for his father. The colony was known for being a safe haven for Quakers, and open to all faiths.

Delaware Also Declared Independence From Pennsylvania

In 1682, the year after the Pennsylvania colony was established, the Duke of York sold William Penn the deed to three counties in lower Pennsylvania that make up modern-day Delaware. At first, the three counties were governed as part of Pennsylvania, but in 1704, they were allowed to form their own separate elected legislature. This division created two colonial assemblies, the “Upper Counties” of Pennsylvania and the “Three Lower Counties on Delaware,” governed by a single governor. On June 15, 1776, Delaware declared itself independent from both British and Pennsylvania authority.

Maryland’s First Documented Pirate Was a Leader of the Virginia Colony

The Delmarva Peninsula separates the Chesapeake Bay from the Atlantic Ocean, which made the bay very attractive to pirates and privateers in the early days of the colonial settlements. The first act of piracy in Maryland history was committed in 1635 by William Claiborne, a member of the Council of Virginia. Claiborne had established a settlement and trading post on Kent Island, which was a part of the Virginia colony at the time. However, when King Charles I granted a royal charter to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore, the map was redrawn to include Kent Island in the Maryland territory. Refusing to relinquish his claim to the island, Claiborne ordered his men to raid a Maryland fur trading port on Palmer Island (modern-day Garrett Island) and went on to attack Maryland ships in Chesapeake Bay. Claiborne’s rebellion eventually led to the Maryland Assembly charging him with “grevious crimes of pyracie and murther.”

Virginia Had Witchcraft Trials, Too

About two dozen trials for witchcraft took place in Virginia between 1626 and 1730, the most famous of which was the trial of Grace Sherwood, who was convicted of witchcraft after enduring a trial by water method known as “ducking.” On July 10, 1706, Sherwood’s thumbs were tied to her toes and she was “ducked” in the Lynnhaven River. The belief was that an innocent person would sink and drown, while a true witch would survive the ordeal. After being thrown from a boat, Sherwood was able to free herself and float, thus securing her conviction for witchcraft. She became known as the “Witch of Pungo” and spent several years in jail before eventually being released.

Photo credit: Universal History Archive / Universal Images Group Editorial via Getty Images

North Carolina’s “Lost Colony” of Roanoke Remains a Mystery

In 1587, two years after the first failed attempt to establish a settlement on North Carolina’s Roanoke Island, a group of more than 100 English colonists made a second attempt, forming the first English outpost in the New World. John White, the governor of the new colony, left his family to return to England for supplies, but when he finally made it back to Roanoke in 1590, everyone was gone, including his daughter and granddaughter, Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas. DNA and archaeological research suggest the group may have split up, with the majority going to live on Hatteras Island with the Croatoan people, and the rest going to live near the Chowan River near the North Carolina border. But more than 430 years later, there are still more questions than answers about what’s become known as the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke.

South Carolina Had a Booming Indigo Trade

South Carolina was the first of the colonies to successfully grow indigo — a crop so vital to the colony’s economy that it was referred to as “blue gold.” Indigo’s production, and subsequent success in the colonies, is attributed to teenager Eliza Lucas (later Eliza Pinckney), whose father shipped indigo seeds to America from Antigua in the 1730s. Her father also hired Nicholas Cromwell, a dye-making expert from Montserrat, to guide her. Cromwell was caught sabotaging the dye-making process and was dismissed, only to be replaced by his brother Patrick, who was also caught sabotaging Lucas’ production efforts. The Cromwell brothers had good reason for concern: Indigo dye was a major export for Montserrat and competition with South Carolina could ruin the island’s economy. Despite the setbacks, Lucas and the enslaved people on her father’s plantations learned how to successfully process the subtropical bush. They were so successful that when Lucas married Charles Pinckney in 1744, she used her indigo crop as dowry, and the couple shared their seeds with other plantation owners. However, Indigo’s success was dependent on the labor of the enslaved people on the plantations, and the increasing demand for the dye in England unfortunately led to an increase in the number of enslaved laborers to keep up with production.

In 1732, King George II signed a charter that established Georgia as the last of England’s North American colonies. Founded by prison reformer James Oglethorpe and a group of like-minded trustees, Georgia was envisioned as a charity colony for England’s “worthy poor.” The colony laws outlawed slavery and forbade large landholdings. Oglethorpe and the other trustees couldn’t hold office, earn a salary, or own land in the colony. However, the settlers in Georgia, many of whom arrived from other colonies, believed enslaved labor was the only way for the colony to achieve prosperity. Ultimately, the slavery ban, along with many of the other restrictions the trustees had placed, was lifted in 1751.

Recommendations For You

6 People You Didn’t Know Were on U.S. Currency

Salmon P. Chase

Martha Washington

You may also like

Running Antelope

Meriwether Lewis and William Clark

DeWitt Clinton

Harriet Tubman

More on U.S. history

Author Kristina Wright

5 Fun Facts About Swimsuits Through History

Recommendations For You

6 Facts About the Mount Rushmore Presidents

7 Little-Known Facts About America’s Founding Fathers

13 Facts About the 13 Original Colonies

5 Watergate Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

More Trending Stories

Revealing Facts About 5 Celebrated Painters

5 Facts About England’s Elizabethan Era

Unforgettable Moments in Baseball History

5 Fun Facts About Swimsuits Through History

5 Inventions That Came Out of the Great Depression

Fascinating Facts About Everyday Life in Ancient Rome

6 Facts About the Mount Rushmore Presidents

5 Fab Facts About Music’s British Invasion

9 World War II Facts Every History Buff Should Know

We Asked an Anthropologist About the Gangs of 19th-Century New York

You may also like

More on U.S. history

Author Bennett Kleinman

5 Fun Facts About Swimsuits Through History

Recommendations For You

6 Facts About the Mount Rushmore Presidents

7 Little-Known Facts About America’s Founding Fathers

13 Facts About the 13 Original Colonies

5 Watergate Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

More Trending Stories

Revealing Facts About 5 Celebrated Painters

5 Facts About England’s Elizabethan Era

Unforgettable Moments in Baseball History

5 Fun Facts About Swimsuits Through History

5 Inventions That Came Out of the Great Depression

Fascinating Facts About Everyday Life in Ancient Rome

6 Facts About the Mount Rushmore Presidents

5 Fab Facts About Music’s British Invasion

9 World War II Facts Every History Buff Should Know

The Catchy History of Presidential Campaign Slogans

The First Campaign Slogan

A Catchy Rhyme Helps Big Time

You may also like

Some Slogans Have Been Used By More Than One Candidate

The Power of Unofficial Slogans

More on U.S. history

Author Kristina Wright

5 Fun Facts About Swimsuits Through History

Recommendations For You

6 Facts About the Mount Rushmore Presidents

7 Little-Known Facts About America’s Founding Fathers

13 Facts About the 13 Original Colonies

5 Watergate Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

More Trending Stories

Revealing Facts About 5 Celebrated Painters

5 Facts About England’s Elizabethan Era

Unforgettable Moments in Baseball History

5 Fun Facts About Swimsuits Through History

5 Inventions That Came Out of the Great Depression

Fascinating Facts About Everyday Life in Ancient Rome

6 Facts About the Mount Rushmore Presidents

5 Fab Facts About Music’s British Invasion

9 World War II Facts Every History Buff Should Know

6 Things You Didn’t Know About the Kennedys

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

Jackie Kennedy Started a School in the White House

You may also like

The “Camelot” Comparison Came From an Interview With Jackie

Robert F. Kennedy Advocated for Civil Rights

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

The Kennedy Compound Is Still in the Family

More on U.S. history

Author Kristina Wright