The Ten Oddest U.S. Presidential Quirks

 

U.S. Presidents are often remembered for their policies and legacies, but many had eccentric habits that reveal their human side. Here are ten of the strangest quirks from White House history.

1. John Quincy Adams' Skinny-Dipping Ritual: The sixth president swam nude in the Potomac River daily at 5 a.m., even granting an interview to a journalist who sat on his clothes.
2. Andrew Jackson's Swearing Parrot: Jackson taught his pet parrot, Poll, to curse profusely; it had to be removed from his funeral for disrupting mourners with obscenities.
3. Calvin Coolidge's Petroleum Jelly Obsession: "Silent Cal" applied Vaseline to his head every morning while eating breakfast, believing it aided his health.
4. Lyndon B. Johnson's Toilet Meetings: LBJ notoriously held staff discussions from the bathroom, unflinchingly continuing business on the throne.
5. Thomas Jefferson's Shakespeare Vandalism: While visiting Stratford-upon-Avon, Jefferson cut a sliver from Shakespeare's chair as a souvenir.
6. Franklin Pierce's Equestrian Mishap: The 14th president was arrested for running over an elderly woman with his horse while in office.
7. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Number 13 Phobia: FDR suffered from triskaidekaphobia, avoiding travel on the 13th and adjusting schedules to evade the unlucky digit.
8. Harry Truman's Ghost Beliefs: Truman wrote that the White House was "haunted, sure as shootin'," convinced spirits roamed its halls.
9. Theodore Roosevelt's Exotic Eats: Teddy was an adventurous eater, once consuming a whole ostrich egg for breakfast.
10. Grover Cleveland's Age-Gap Marriage: Cleveland married his 21-year-old ward, Frances Folsom, in the White House, raising eyebrows over their 27-year age difference.

Secrets of American History

Nuclear War 1962 (Alternate History)