Learn about US Presidents: 19 Important Yet Fun Facts

Are you studying the US presidents with your child? The presidents are a fascinating topic that kids often don't think is as interesting as adults. To interest your child, try introducing some important facts!

I do suggest that you have a list of the presidents available for your child to view. Memorizing all of the presidents can be a bit tricky at times. You can try an educational poster or placemat that you keep at the center of your table. 

Ready for some important facts? Your child might find some of these interesting! 

19 Important Facts about the US Presidents

1. George Washington is the only US president who was elected unanimously, so that means everyone voted for him. They all loved George Washington, and who can blame them?

2. The only two presidents who signed the Constitution were George Washington and James Madison. 

3. Can you guess who the tallest US president was? If you guessed Abraham Lincoln, you're correct! Abe Lincoln stood at an impressive 6 feet 4 inches tall! 

4. Three presidents died on July 4th. Can you guess who? If you guess Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and James Monroe, you'd be correct. July 4th is also the birthdate of one president: Calvin Coolidge. 

5. Abe Lincoln is best known for his tall stove-piped hat, but not everyone knows that he liked to store letters and documents inside of his hat. Who needs a bag when you have a hat? 

6. Most presidents had at least one pet, but William Henry Harrison had a unique pet. Harrison had a pet goat who he just called Billy goat, as well as his beloved cow named Sukey. 

7. The very first president to appear on television was Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was featured on TV in 1939 while at the World's Fair. 

8. Eight presidents died in office: William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. 

9. Rutherford B. Hayes was the very first president to have a typewriter and a telephone in the White House. It was considered very advanced in those days. The telephone was installed in 1879 and the typewriter arrived in 1880. 

10. Thomas Jefferson loved to read. When the Library of Congress burned in the War of 1812, he sold his books from his collection to refill the library. Jefferson sold the library 6487 books. Can you imagine having that many books? 

11. Andrew Jackson had a bullet in his chest for 40 years! He was shot in the chest during a gun duel but continued to shoot and kill his opponent. It was too dangerous to remove the bullet, so he left it there! 

12. John Tyler had 15 children, and they all lived in the White House with him. We can imagine that those kids had a lot of fun running around those halls! 

13. Most presidents had hobbies to entertain them, but George W. Bush was the only president to ever run a marathon. He ran the Houston Marathon, finishing with a time of 3:44:52. 

14. Two presidents had their sons serve as president later in life. John Adams was the 2nd president and his son, John Quincy Adam, was the 6th president. George Bush was the 41st president and his son, George W. Bush, was the 43rd president. 

15. Henry Ford is the only president to never be elected by the voting public to the president or vice president. How does that happen? The first vice president, Spiro Andrew, resigned, and then Richard Nixon resigned as well. 1

16. Richard Nixon loved bowling so much that he had a one-lane bowling alley installed in the White House. It's still there today! 

17. George Bush Sr. was shot down in his aircraft over Japan on September 2, 1944. Another crewman bailed out as well, and they were rescued by a submarine off the coast of Chici-Jima.

18. John F. Kennedy loved James Bond and watched all of the movies. He met the author, Ian Fleming, at a dinner party in 1960. 

19. William Taft was the largest president in our history. He was nicknamed Big Bill and once got himself stuck in the White House bathtub and called his advisers to help him get out.