By: Matthew H. Fry, Esquire
What does President’s Day celebrate? This holiday is most commonly called President’s Day, but the federal holiday is officially called Washington’s Birthday. The day honors not only George Washington but all of the previous presidents of the United States.
Below are some interesting facts about past presidents:
- George Washington was the only president unanimously elected, as all of the state representatives voted for him.
- John Adams died on the same day as Thomas Jefferson, July 4th, 1826. This day was also the 50th anniversary of the approval of the Declaration of Independence!
- Thomas Jefferson was not only the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809, but was also an accomplished architect. He designed his famous home at Monticello as well as buildings for the University of Virginia.
- The only presidents that signed the Constitution were James Madison and George Washington.
- James Madison was the shortest president at 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighed 100 pounds, while Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president at 6 feet 4 inches tall, tied with Lyndon B. Johnson who was also 6′ 4″
- Abraham Lincoln often stored things like letters and documents in his tall stove-pipe hat.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt met President Grover Cleveland when he was five years old. Cleveland said “I am making a wish for you. It is that you may never become president of the United States.”
- The “S” in Harry S Truman does not stand for anything. In explanation he said that the “S” did not stand for any name but was a compromise between the names of his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young.
- Woodrow Wilson was buried at the Washington National Cathedral. He is the only president buried in Washington D.C.
- Andrew Jackson was shot in the chest during a gun dual, but managed to stay standing and shoot and kill his opponent. The bullet could not be safely removed and remained in his chest for the next 40 years.
- Martin Van Buren was the first president to be born as a citizen of the United States. The presidents before him were born as British subjects.
- Martin Van Buren was also the only president to speak English as a second language. His first language was Dutch.
- William Henry Harrison was the 9th president. His grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was the 23rd president. William Henry Harrison died just 32 days after becoming president. He died from a cold he got while standing in the rain giving his inauguration speech.
Happy President’s Day everyone!
The Law Firm of DiOrio & Sereni, LLP is a full-service law firm in Media, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. We strive to help people, businesses and institutions throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania solve legal problems – and even prevent legal problems before they occur. To learn more about the full range of our specific practice areas, please visit www.dioriosereni.com or contact Matthew Fry, Esquire at 610-565-5700 or at [email protected].
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