Some Things You Thought You Knew (and Actually Didn’t) About Presidents

1) All presidents are sworn into office on a bible.

Not true; John Quincy Adams (the 6th president of the US) was sworn in on a book of law in an attempt to “preserve the separation of Church and State”, Franklin Peirce was also sworn on a “book of law” because he wanted to “affirm” his office rather than swear it. Lastly, Theodore Roosevelt wasn’t sworn in on anything… he was just, sworn in.

2) There have been 43 presidents of the United States and we just elected the 44th one.

Not True; William Henry Harrison (the ninth president) was elected in 1840 and died 31 days into his term because of a cold, (which may or may not be a result of his 2 hour long inaugural speech during his very very cold inauguration day during which he refused to wear a coat, in order to look more “presidential”.) And though he was technically elected, he never did anything; he didn’t serve a term. Kennedy also, as I’m sure you remember, was shot three years into his term- though I think 3 years count more towards a term than 31 days.

Also, Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms as president- the only one in history to ever have been elected twice, before and after someone else (Benjamin Harrison was the person elected after Cleveland) making him the 23 and 25 president; there have only been 43 different men elected (counting Obama) and there has only been 42 men elected who served anything towards a full term.

3) All presidents are sworn into office with their first names.

Not True; nope, that’s not true either. Some of them were, yes, but many weren’t; Some presidents, (Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, for example) did use their whole name but presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Regan both took the oath as “Jimmy Carter” and “Ronald Regan”. All of our most recent presidents, (as many of you may remember) were sworn in with their entire names; personally, “William Jefferson Clinton” and “George Walker Bush” spring to mind. Some of you may remember Bush Sr.’s inauguration- he used four names, swearing in as “George Herbert Walker Bush” but I guess that’s what happens when you have that many names.

A few presidents, (Eisenhower and Ford) took the oath with only a middle initial. Truman- having only a middle initial, with no name attached to it at all, had no other option and took the oath as “Harry S. Truman”.

Some presidents never used the name at all; Lyndon B. Johnson just said, “I do so solemnly swear”. (He was also sworn in on an Air Force One fighter plane during a quick ceremony following the death of President Kennedy. But that was just because of the panicked state of the country.)

The name, in fact, is not necessary at all. The constitution just says, “Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:-‘I do solemnly swear…” and the rest is history.

(All of this can be seen on Wikipedia. Also, on the biographies of the above noted presidents; just Google it. I am not claiming to have been there and recorded all of this myself- obviously I have sources. If you’d like to know them, message me.)

(Oops… except for the last one- go to Ask.com for that.)