Weird and Perplexing Presidential Trivia/Facts

It is well-known that 27th U.S. President William Howard Taft was a large man, at over 300lbs. He once became stuck in his bath tub and as a result of this embarrassing situation, ordered a larger bath tub installed in the White House to accommodate his enormous girth.

W.H. Taft is also notable for being the only former U.S. President to have also served as a Judge on the Supreme Court after his presidency.

14th U.S. President Franklin Pierce was arrested for having run-over an elderly woman while in office, as he was riding horseback, allegedly for speeding. The charges were later dropped.

No “I” in “Team”

President Theodore Roosevelt is notable to wordsmiths for his unusually-crafted Inaugural Speech, which he managed to deliver without even once using the personal pronoun “I.”

Honest Abe Lincoln

Image via Wikipedia

The assassin of our 16th President Abraham Lincoln, one John Wilkes Booth, carried two pistols that night he entered Ford’s Theater and fired that fatal shot that ultimately lead to the death of Mr. Lincoln. The intention for carrying two pistols being that if the first pistol failed to fire or if the assassin missed with the first shot, there would not be enough time to re-load, so a second pistol was carried to be at the ready.

It is a curious act of fate that the brother of John Wilkes Booth, one Edwin Boothe, (actor/traveling stage performer) was credited with having saved Abraham Lincoln’s son Robert Lincoln (date unknown, circa late 1864-early 1865?) when on a crowded train platform Robert became entangled between the train and the platform as the train began to pull away from the station.

Robert Lincoln, recognizing the actor, thanked him by name after the rescue but Edwin Booth was not made aware of the identity of the historically significant man he quite possibly saved until some months later, from a Colonial in Ulysses S. Grant’s army. U.S. Grant. A man whom several years later, would eventually become the 18th President of the United States.

This heroic incident involving Edwin Booth and Robert Lincoln occurred some months before President Lincolns’ assassination at the Ford Theater.  The heroic deed is said to have been of at least a minor comfort to Edwin Booth, whom was deeply troubled for the misdeed of his deranged brother.

Image via Wikipedia

Friends ’til the Very End, 50 Years to the Day

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson where both friends and rivals, each having ran for office of the President and Adams won over Jefferson, and next Jefferson won over Adams. These co-signers of the Declaration of Independence remained friends, despite certain disagreements. It is a curious fact that it was 50 years to the day since the creation of the Declaration of Independance, July 4th, 1826 they both died. Separated by distance, and within mere hours of each other.

Maybe there is something with July 4th, -the 5th President of the United States, James Monroe, also died on July 4th, but in the year 1831.

12th President of the United States, Zachary Taylor, attended celebration activities at the Washington Monument on July 4th, 1850, and became ill that day. He died five days later.