22 truths and a lie
Twenty-two of these trivia bits are true. One is a lie. Can you figure out which is which?
Don’t scroll too far down without guessing, or you’ll see some spoilers.
Gimme a thumbs up in the comments if you spotted the lie immediately.
Here we go:
Rosemary Kennedy received a lobotomy for minor issues.
Thomas Jefferson invented the swivel chair.
Club Presidente Hayes is a Paraguayan football club named after President Rutherford B. Hayes.
No presidents were born in a hospital until Jimmy Carter.
George H.W. Bush played a part in the mess with Richard Nixon’s VP Spiro Agnew, which ultimately ended with Agnew’s resignation.
As sheriff, Grover Cleveland personally executed two murderers.
Our 10th president’s grandson is still alive today.
Woodrow Wilson shaved his mustache so his students could tell when he was joking.
The guy who saved Ronald Reagan from assassination joined the Secret Service because of a Reagan movie.
When President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon left office, they never spoke again.
Five veterans of the War of 1812 became president.
Thomas Jefferson loved him some woolly mammoths.
David was the first name of the president who renamed the presidential retreat (from Shangri-La to Camp David).
James Garfield was the first president to give a campaign speech in a different language.
Warren G. Harding wrote some filthy poetry.
There used to be a double-wide seat behind home plate at Yale, specifically designed for former law professor William Howard Taft.
Franklin Pierce’s son was nearly decapitated in a train accident.
Abraham Lincoln is the only POTUS to hold a patent.
Theodore Roosevelt’s mom was a Confederate sympathizer.
Sarah Polk worried about her husband entering the room without notice, so she had the U.S. Marine band play Hail to the Chief to mark his entrance.
Our youngest president was Teddy Roosevelt.
Only one first family had twins — George and Laura Bush.
John Quincy Adams was obsessed with the metric system.
Ok, you good? Have the number in your head that you think is the lie…?
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LIE!
10. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon left office, they never spoke again.
(They became family. Scroll down for more.)
Once you know the answer, keep scrolling for some supporting info and doodles.
The real scoop:
1. Rosemary Kennedy received a lobotomy for minor issues.
This story is utterly heartbreaking. I can’t do it justice, but here’s more information.
2. Thomas Jefferson invented the swivel chair.
Yup. I learned that watching an episode of Downton Abbey.
3. Club Presidente Hayes is a Paraguayan football club named after President Rutherford B. Hayes.
For real! And this is football as in soccer. Their nickname is los yanquis — the Yankees.
(Shout-out to my mom, for sending me an article about this. Read the full piece.)
4. No presidents were born in a hospital until Jimmy Carter.
5. George H.W. Bush played a part in the mess with Richard Nixon’s VP Spiro Agnew, which ultimately ended with Agnew’s resignation.
This whole story is bonkers. Everything about Spiro Agnew was bonkers. I mean, this guy was so corrupt that they toyed with buying an entire company for him to run just to get him off the ticket. Or appoint him to the Supreme Court. (Thankfully, Nixon recognized that maybe that’s not the best place for a guy like Agnew.) George H.W. Bush was instrumental in trying to coverup Agnew’s crimes. I can’t make this stuff up. You gotta check out Bag Man (either as a podcast or in book form).
6. As sheriff, Grover Cleveland personally executed two murderers.
7. Our 10th president’s grandson is still alive today.
8. Woodrow Wilson shaved his mustache so his students could tell when he was joking.
I can’t even picture Wilson making a joke, but apparently he did.
9. The guy who saved Ronald Reagan from assassination joined the Secret Service because of a Reagan movie.
Watch a clip of Code of the Secret Service, the self-described “thrilling” and “chilling” 1939 film that inspired Jerry Parr to join the Secret Service
(Thank you to Kurt of Kurt’s Historic Sites for this fact.)
10. LIE! When President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Vice President Richard Nixon left office, they never spoke again.
Nixon’s daughter married Eisenhower’s grandson — they became family.
11. Five veterans of the War of 1812 became president.
James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Zachary Taylor.
12. Thomas Jefferson loved him some woolly mammoths.
In particular, mastodons.
13. David was the first name of the president who renamed the presidential retreat (from Shangri-La to Camp David).
Eisenhower renamed the retreat Camp David, after his grandson. (The one who married Nixon’s daughter above in #10!) But also — Dwight David Eisenhower? He was born David Dwight Eisenhower.
14. James Garfield was the first president to give a campaign speech in a different language.
In German.
15. Warren G. Harding wrote some filthy poetry.
This stuff’ll make you blush.
16. There used to be a double-wide seat behind home plate at Yale, specifically designed for former law professor William Howard Taft.
Barbara Bush sat there when pregnant with George W. Bush. In W’s words: “Fortunately for her, the stadium included a double-wide seat right behind home plate designed for former law professor William Howard Taft.” Rude.
17. Franklin Pierce’s son was nearly decapitated in a train accident.
Jane and Franklin Pierce doted on their 11-year-old, their only child to survive past age four. Shortly before Pierce’s inauguration, the family headed home from a funeral when tragedy struck. Many suffered injuries, but little Benny was the lone fatality. Convinced that the deaths of his sons were due to his sins, Pierce declined to be sworn into office on a Bible.
18. Abraham Lincoln is the only POTUS to hold a patent.
He came up with a “manner of buoying vessels.”
19. Theodore Roosevelt’s mom was a Confederate sympathizer.
Yep. And it grossed tiny Teddy out. When he got mad at her, he’d pray fervently that southern troops would be ground to a powder.
20. Sarah Polk worried about her husband entering the room without notice, so she had the U.S. Marine band play Hail to the Chief to mark his entrance.
The song had been played since Washington’s days, but Sarah introduced the idea of playing it regularly.
21. Our youngest president was Teddy Roosevelt.
And not just because he acted like a six-year-old. The youngest elected president was John F. Kennedy though.
22. Only one first family had twins — George and Laura Bush.
After trying to have a baby unsuccessfully for a couple of years, they decided to adopt… and they checked the box for twins. Then they found out Laura was expecting — twins!
23. John Quincy Adams was obsessed with the metric system.
BONUS LIE! I recently shared my project with an illustration class and it was so much fun. (That part is true.) Toward the end of class, we had twenty minutes to draw an unbelievable fact and voted on which were true. My submission is on the right.
As Thomas J. Balcerski shows in his book Bosom Friends: The Intimate World of James Buchanan and William Rufus King — there’s no evidence that James Buchanan was gay.
How’d you do?
Give me a thumbs up or thumbs down in the comments.
I crowdsourced this post a bit. A big thank you to everyone who contributed. Any ideas for 22 truths and a lie: VP or first lady edition? Shoot me a message.
