Measure Up
The heaviest President
Who is William Taft?
The heaviest President was William Howard Taft (1909-13), who sometimes tipped the scales at more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms) during his tenure. After he became stuck in the White House bathtub, Taft ordered a new one installed. The replacement was big enough to hold four grown men of average size.
The first President born a U.S. citizen.
The first President born a U.S. citizen was Martin Van Buren (1837-41). Van Buren was delivered on December 5, 1782, making him the first President born after the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Four sitting Presidents have been assassinated while in office. How many can you name?
Four sitting Presidents have been assassinated while in office: Abraham Lincoln, James Abram Garfield (1881), William McKinley (1897-1901), and John F. Kennedy (1961-63).
This President was the first and only President elected unanimously by the Electoral College.
George Washington
He was the first President to attend a baseball game.
Benjamin Harrison (1889-93), the 23nd President, was the first President to attend a baseball game. He saw the Cincinnati Reds beat the Washington Senators 7 to 4 on June 6, 1892.
The smallest President.
The smallest President was James Madison (Presidential term 1809-17). The fourth President, Madison stood 5 feet, 4 inches (163 centimeters) tall and weighed less than 100 pounds (45 kilograms).
This state is the birthplace of the greatest number of Presidents.
Virginia is the birthplace of the greatest number of Presidents. It boasts eight. Thirty-one states have never claimed a native son as President.
Six Presidents survived their assassination attempts. How many can you name?
Six other Presidents were luckier and survived their assassination attempts: Andrew Jackson (1829-37), Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09), Franklin Roosevelt (1933-45), Harry Truman (1945-53), Gerald Ford (1974-77), and Ronald Reagan (1981-89).
This President received every Electoral College vote except one.
James Monroe (1817-25), the fifth President, received every Electoral College vote except one. The holdout: a New Hampshire delegate who wanted to preserve the legacy of George Washington, the first and only President elected unanimously by the Electoral College.
He was the President who started the Presidential "first pitch" of baseball season.
William Taft started the tradition of the Presidential "first pitch" of baseball season. The event took place on April 4, 1910, during an opening day game between the Washington Senators and the Philadelphia Athletics.
The tallest President
The tallest President was Abraham Lincoln (1861-65). He stood 6 feet, 4 inches (193 centimeters) tall.
He was the first President to travel abroad while in office.
Teddy Roosevelt was the first President to travel abroad while in office; he visited the Panama Canal in 1906.
This President died one month into his Presidency.
William Henry Harrison (1841), the ninth President, died of pneumonia one month to the day after making—in the snow—the longest U.S. presidential inauguration speech on record.
He was the first President to be impeached.
Andrew Johnson was impeached by the U.S. House of Representatives in 1868, but he was also later acquitted by the Senate.
Since Taft's first pitch, every President but one has opened at least one baseball season during their tenure. But he was the exception.
The exception: Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)
The oldest President ever elected.
The oldest President ever elected was Ronald Reagan (1981-89). The 40th President took office at the age of 69.
He was the first President to visit all 50 states.
Richard Nixon
Two Presidents have died on July 4, 1826.
John Adams (1797-1801), the second President, and Thomas Jefferson (1801-09), the third President, both died on July 4, 1826. Calvin Coolidge (1923-29), the 30th President, was born on July 4, 1872.
They were the first father & son pair to become President.
John Quincy Adams (1825-29), the sixth President, was the son of John Adams (1797-1801), the second President.
This President customarily took a nude early morning swim in the Potomac River.
John Quincy Adams (1825-29), the sixth President
The youngest elected President.
The youngest elected President was John F. Kennedy (1961-63), who reached the White House at 43. But the youngest President to ever serve was Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09), who was elected Vice President on a ticket with President William McKinley. In September 1901 a deranged anarchist shot McKinley twice in Buffalo, New York, and Roosevelt assumed the top office at 42.
He went on the first Presidential flight.
In 1943 Franklin Roosevelt made the first Presidential flight.
This President died in 1850 of an inflamed stomach and intestines just 16 months after he took office.
Zachary Taylor (1849-50), the 12thZachary Taylor (1849-50), the 12th President, died in 1850 of an inflamed stomach and intestines just 16 months after he took office.
He was the only President to serve who was not elected by U.S. voters either as President or Vice President.
Gerald Ford (1974-77) was the only President to serve who was not elected by U.S. voters either as President or Vice President. In 1973 then-President Richard Nixon (1969-74) appointed Ford Vice President after former Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned. When Nixon resigned from the White House on August 9, 1974 (the only President to do so), Ford became President.
George Washington (1789-1797), Thomas Jefferson (1801-09), and John Adams (1797-1801) were all avid collectors and players of this popular children's game.
What are marbles.