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Photo Gallery | SLIDESHOW: Fun presidential facts

SLIDESHOW: Fun presidential facts
Submitted by Melynda Sides, Digital Content Producer
Monday, February 20th, 2012, 5:38pm
James Madison: 1809-1817
'James' by far is the most popular name for a president. Madison – the fourth president - was the first in a long line of James', including Monroe, Polk, Buchanan, Garfield and (Jimmy) Carter. The second most common name for presidents? John. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Andrew Jackson: 1829-1837
Prone to frequently settling the score the old fashioned way - dueling - Jackson is said to have carried a bullet from a match lodged in his body, close to his heart, until the day he died. Maybe sheer toughness is what earned him a spot on the $20 bill. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
William Henry Harrison: 1841
Harrison holds his place in history as the president with the briefest tenure. Inaugurated in March 1841, he developed pneumonia and passed away a month later, becoming the first president to die in office. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Abraham Lincoln: 1861-1865
Lincoln, in addition to being the tallest president at 6'4", also holds the honor of being the inspiration for the name of one of the most enduring and iconic toys. Lincoln Logs were invented in 1916 and named for the president born in a log cabin. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Ulysses S. Grant: 1869-1877
Even presidents aren't immune to the speed limit. Grant was once ticketed for driving his horse too fast and fined $20. He also claimed to only know two songs. "One was Yankee Doodle and the other wasn't," he said. (Source:Wikimedia Commons)
Rutherford B. Hayes: 1877-1881
Hayes was the first president to have a phone in the White House. The phone number wasn't hard to remember. It was simply "1." Hayes also banned alcoholic beverages from the White House. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
James Garfield: 1881
Garfield was the only president to have also been a preacher. He served as a lay minister in the Disciples of Christ denomination. He could also reportedly write Latin with one hand and Greek with another ... simultaneously. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Grover Cleveland: 1885-1889
Cleveland is the only president elected to nonconsecutive terms, making him both the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Theodore Roosevelt: 1901-1909
Teddy Roosevelt might be the Chuck Norris of presidents. Shot in the chest at close range before a speech, he delivered the speech anyway, speaking for an hour before going to the hospital. "It takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose," he said. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Warren G. Harding: 1921-1923
He didn't bet the house, but he did bet the house china. Harding is said to have lost all the White House china on a single hand of cards. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Calvin Coolidge: 1923-1929
Call him zookeeper in chief. Coolidge, the nation's 30th president, owned a pygmy hippo, antelope, a bobcat, two lion cubs and a donkey, among other not-so-housebroken pets. Many of the animals were donated to the National Zoo. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Harry S. Truman: 1945-1953
The "S" in Harry S. Truman doesn't stand for anything. He was named after his grandfathers Anderson Shippe Truman and Solomon Young. The initial honors them both. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Ronald Reagan: 1981-1989
Like blueberry Jelly Bellys? You have Reagan to thank. The company created the flavor for his inauguration in 1981. Reagan was so fond of jelly beans, a special holder was designed so they wouldn't spill during turbulence on Air Force One. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
George H. W. Bush: 1989-1993
Bush 41 flew 58 combat missions in World War II, one which ended with him parachuting out of his aircraft and into the Pacific after his squadron was attacked by Japanese anti-aircraft guns and the engine caught fire. (Source: U.S. Navy)
George W. Bush: 2001-2009
George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush are the second father/son presidential duo in history. The first? John Adams and son John Quincy Adams. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Presidential fun facts

Do you know which president was the first to have a telephone? Which commander in chief gambled away the White House china? Or who loved jelly beans? Discover some fun facts about some of the men who've held the highest office in the United States. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Slideshow created by Raycom News Network.

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