Presidential Fun Facts

Abraham Lincoln is often thought of as one of history’s greatest Presidents. It is understandable; many credit him with ending slavery and winning the Civil War. While Lincoln’s true position on slavery is often more complicated than what people learn in elementary school, there is no denying that he was one of the most important men in American History. But many would be surprised to learn that the thin, tall, wiry President, who often looks somewhat ill in photographs that do exist of him, was something of a demon in the wrestling wring. Out of the approximately 300 matches he competed in he was defeated exactly once. It is claimed that he once even challenged an entire crowd of onlookers in his youth to try and best him in a match if anyone among them had the nerve. Reportedly, everyone present declined. While these feats were accomplished during the 16^th President’s youth, they have earned him an “Outstanding American” distinction in the Wrestling Hall of Fame to this day.

Nobody who knew the future 26^th President in his youth would have guessed his physical prowess as an adult. The man was asthmatic, barely able to conquer even the most menial of physical tasks, and quite weak. There were some who did not even imagine he would survive to adulthood. And yet, the young man was infuriated by his lack of capability. He then began a lifelong war against his own ineptitude. He forced himself to jog and swim for miles in order to build strength in his muscles and lungs. He regularly went hunting and avidly practiced his boxing technique even during his time in office, and often stressed the virtue and importance of living what he called a “strenuous life” that pushed one to their very limit. Apparently, all of this conditioning would come to pay off. Once, during a campaign speech, someone made the mistake of attempting to assassinate President Roosevelt. Much to their surprise, however, he took the bullet, shook it off, announced, “I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have been shot…I give you my word, I do not care a rap about being shot, not a rap,” and then proceeded to speak for a further 90 minutes before being taken to receive medical attention. That is a feat that would make most superheroes blush.

Woodrow Wilson has a complicated presidential legacy. Most remember him for his sponsorship of a “league of nations” which would eventually take shape in the UN as we know it today (despite that the US declined to join the initial league at the time), his service as President during the First World War, and his eventual push for the 19^th Amendment (albeit after immense pressure from women’s rights activists). However, others remember him more so for what he was not able to do. In 1919, after the Great War, the 28^th President suffered a stroke that left him bedridden and partially paralyzed. In order to maintain public morale and sentiment, his administration elected largely to hide his condition from the public. As such, the running of the country was left, in varying degrees, largely up to his cabinet and his wife, Edith Wilson. Perhaps one of the most powerful First Ladies in United States’ History, Mrs. Wilson claimed only to analyze documents, policies, and events which were to be sent to President Wilson and chose to present those matters which were of utmost importance to her husband. In actuality? Many historians and even medical advisors from the time stipulated that she may have been greatly understating her role. Some go as far as to say that given the President’s condition, there is a fairly strong likelihood that Mrs. Wilson herself was actually making decisions on her husband’s behalf, making her the acting President of the time. Regardless, it cannot be denied that her role was more powerful than virtually any other First Lady of the Time, making hers and President Wilson’s tenure quite unique in American Politics.

The subject of the first President’s teeth is an often-debated topic. Urban legend surrounding the President’s infamous lack of dental integrity are often less inane than what was actually true historically. In summary, George Washington’s dental hygiene was a dentist’s worst nightmare. Brushing one’s teeth, while different than it looks today, was still a decently accepted aspect of hygiene that the famed general and President was actually very attentive to, and yet he suffered from poor dental health his entire life. As such, the majority of his teeth ended up having to be extracted and he ended up having to wear a variety of dentures throughout his life. The general apparently rarely smiled as he got older, and is never depicted smiling in his portraits either, as he found it quite embarrassing. However, much of the legend around his teeth has to do with the speculation that his dentures were wooden. In reality, they were made mostly from ivory (including from elephants), metal, and possibly even human teeth. There is reason to believe in fact that some of his dentures were made from teeth taken from slaves, a darker and yet necessary part of American history at the time.

While history has had a number of single-term presidents, few were quite as underwhelming as the Tragedy of President William Henry Harrison. In an effort to show his longevity, strength, and intellectual prowess in the face of relentless attacks on his intelligence and physical wellbeing during his campaign, he elected to brave the cold, wet weather of his inauguration day in order to deliver a nearly two-hour address. While people were certainly impressed by his feat, this was exceedingly short lived, given that he caught a respiratory infection and died not even 31 days into his presidency. Ironically, it is thought that, had he lived, he might have been quite the politician. Just goes to show, sometimes it is better to let things be, and not have quite so much to prove.