Surprising Things You Never Knew About Each President Of The United States

11. James K. Polk wasn’t what you’d call the life of the party.

Polk’s devout Presbyterian wife, Sarah, banned dancing, drinking and card games in the White House during her time as the first lady, making for a very dull celebration.

12. Zachary Taylor was nominated without knowing it.

In 1848, Taylor had no idea the Wig Party chose him as their nominee for president. Apparently, the party sent him a letter without postage, and when he refused to pay for it, he ended up going weeks without knowing the good news.

13. Millard Fillmore was a major bibliophile.

Fillmore and his wife, Abigail, were definitely book-lovers. They established the first permanent White House library, and Fillmore personally helped fight a fire that destroyed parts of the Library of Congress in 1851. He later signed a bill to fund the replacement of all the books that had been destroyed.

14. Franklin Pierce was a heavy drinker.

Though presidents before him had been known to have a drink now and again, Pierce was one of the heaviest drinkers to ever hold the office. As he was leaving office, he reportedly said to a friend “There is nothing left to do but get drunk.”

15. Jamies Buchanan was a lifelong bachelor.

Buchanan is the only president to remain a lifelong bachelor, though he was engaged to a woman at one point. There was much speculation about his personal life, including a persistent rumor that he was in a secret relationship with Alabama Senator William Rufus King.

16. Abraham Lincoln created the Secret Service only a few hours before his death.

The story of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination is widely known. But few people are aware that several hours before his death, Lincoln signed legislation to create the Secret Service, which is now responsible for protecting the president’s life. However, it probably wouldn’t have helped Lincoln: the original purpose wasn’t to protect the president, but rather to investigate counterfeit money.

17. Andrew Johnson escaped indentured servitude as a child.

Though many presidents came from elite, well-educated backgrounds, Andrew Johnson did not. His mother sent him to work as an indentured servant when he was a child, though he and his brother later escaped. He never had a formal education, but his wife, Eliza, helped him learn to read and write.

18. Ulysses S. Grant was not this president’s real name.

His birth name was Hiram Ulysses Grant, but due to a mistake made on his West Point application, he became Ulysses S. Grant. His middle initial doesn’t stand for anything, but he joked in a letter to his wife, “Find some name beginning with ‘S’ for me.”

19. Rutherford B. Hayes started the annual Easter Egg Roll.

Hayes had a presidency full of “firsts,” including the first White House Easter Egg Roll in 1878. He had reportedly been taking a walk when a group of children approached him and asked about the possibility of an Easter egg roll on the South Lawn of the White House. Hayes liked the idea, and it continues to be a tradition today.

20. James Garfield was a southpaw.

Though his presidency only lasted 81 days, Garfield sticks out in many people’s minds for being the first left-handed president. Apparently, he was also the first ambidextrous president.