TOP 15 Obscure Facts You Didn't Know About U.S. Presidents Vol-2

 

16. Abraham Lincoln -

Get ready to rumble: Abraham Lincoln could throw down in the wrestling ring. As a young man, he was only defeated once out of approximately 300 matches. He made it to the Wrestling Hall of Fame with the honor of "Outstanding American."

17. Andrew Johnson -

In his youth, Johnson apprenticed as a tailor. Even as president, he never stopped making his own suits.

18. Ulysses S. Grant -

Ulysses S. Grant smoked a ton of cigars — at least 20 a day. After a great military victory at the Battle of Shiloh, citizens sent him more than 10,000 boxes of cigars as gratitude. He died of throat cancer in 1885.

19. Rutherford B. Hayes -

Hayes was the only president to be wounded in the Civil War — not once, but four times. Four horses were shot down from beneath him (ouch).

20. James A. Garfield -

Not only was Garfield ambidextrous — he could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other at the same time.

21. Chester A. Arthur -

Chester A. Arthur was known for his impeccable attire, earning him the nickname "Elegant Arthur." On his last day in office, four women offered him their hands in marriage. Also, he owned 80 pairs of pants.

22. Grover Cleveland -

While serving as sheriff of Erie County, N.Y., Grover Cleveland had to spring the trap at a hanging on two occassions. This earned him the unflattering nickname "Buffalo Hangman."

23. Benjamin Harrison -

Benjamin Harrison was the first president to have electricity in the White House. However, he was so scared of getting electrocuted that he would never touch the light switches himself.

24. Grover Cleveland -

Grover Cleveland's epithelium, a small tumor that was removed from the roof of his mouth, resides at the Mutter Museum in Philadelphia.

25. William McKinley -

William McKinley almost always wore a red carnation on his lapel as a good luck charm. While greeting a line of people in 1901, he gave the flower to a little girl. Seconds later, he was shot by an assassin, and died eight days later.

26. Theodore Roosevelt -

Teddy Roosevelt was shot in an assassination attempt while delivering a speech in Milwaukee. "I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot," he told the stunned audience. "I give you my word, I do not care a rap about being shot; not a rap." He completed the 90-minute speech with the bullet still lodged in his chest.

27. William H. Taft -

William Taft — also known as "Big Bill" — was the largest president in American history. He once got himself wedged into the White House bathtub and had to call his advisers for help getting out.

28. Woodrow Wilson -

Woodrow Wilson's face is on the $100,000 bill, which very few have ever laid hands on. The bills were mainly designed for trade between between Federal Reserve banks, but fell out of use with the invention of the wire transfer. They still work as legal tender, but good luck finding someone who can break the change for you.

29. Warren G. Harding -

At 25, Warren married a divorcée, Florence "Flossie" Mabel Kling DeWolf. She was five years older with a 10-year-old son from a former marriage. Flossie's father once threatened to kill Harding if he married his daughter, but she pursued him relentlessly until he gave in. Girl power!

30. Calvin Coolidge -

If you thought you had a tough boss, think again. Calvin Coolidge would occasionally press all the buttons in the Oval Office, sending bells ringing throughout the White House — and then hide to watch his staff run in. He just wanted to see who was working.