WEIRD FACTS ABOUT
UNITED STATES
The first US president to be born a US citizen was the eighth president, Martin Van Buren (held office 1837-41).
The seven before him were born British.
The first US president to have been born in a hospital was Jimmy Carter (born 1924, elected 1977).
The last US president to have had a beard was Benjamin Harrison, who left office in 1893.
The tallest US president was Abraham Lincoln (held office 1861-5) at 6ft 4in.
The shortest was James Madison at 5ft 4in.
The only US president to have appeared in a shirt advertisement is Ronald Reagan.
The only US president to have been arrested and fined $20 for speeding on a horse was Ulysses S. Grant.
The only US president to hold a patent was Abraham Lincoln. It was awarded in 1849 for 'A Device for Buoying Vessels Over Shoals'.
The heaviest president was William Taft (held office 1909-13), who weighed between 300lb and 350lb. When he once got stuck in the bath at the White House it took six men to lift him out. He promptly ordered a bigger bath.
Since 1840, every US president elected in a year ending in zero has died in office except for Ronald Reagan - who survived an assassination attempt - and George W. Bush who was elected in 2000.
According to a retired FBI agent, during the Bush presidency there were 300 to 500 threats on the President's life each month.
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BROCCOLI
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BUSH
In 2000, George W. Bush became the first right-handed president since Jimmy Carter.
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CLINTON
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COMMUNISM
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CRIME
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DUBLIN
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FLIES
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MONEY
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MOSCOW
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OLYMPIC GAMES
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POLYGRAPH
In 2003, a report from the National Academy of Sciences in the US found that... MORE
PRISONERS
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RHUBARB
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RUGBY
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SCOLD
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SUICIDE
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SURNAME
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TEETH
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TOURISM
Tourism began on 5 July 1841, when Thomas Cook organised his first trip for fellow... MORE
TRAFFIC LIGHTS
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TRANSPLANTATION
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TWENTY THREE
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WILSON
The only surname to have been held by both a US president and a British... MORE
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The word 'witch' comes from the Saxon 'wicca', meaning 'wise one'.
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