Unbelievable Presidential Facts from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 25, 2011) – People often scratch their heads at some of the things that modern-day U.S. presidents have said and done. But recent presidents have nothing on Washington and Lincoln (imagine if pundits and cable news shows existed back then!).

Lincoln had a pet turkey in the White House? Washington bummed $1,500 to get to his own inauguration?

In honor of President’s Day, Lincoln’s Birthday and Washington’s Birthday, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is releasing a list of amazing presidential facts – all taken from Ripley’s 92-year old archives of the famous cartoons.

Click cartoon for high resolution downloadable image. 

George Washington

• George Washington, the first American millionaire, had to borrow $1,500 on a promissory note to get to New York for his inauguration in April, 1789.
• George Washington was the only president ever elected by the entire American people unanimously. He was so elected twice, in 1789 and 1792.
• During his entire two terms as U.S. president, Washington refused to shake hands! He always bowed – in the belief that a handshake was beneath the dignity of a president.
• Washington was the only American soldier who served throughout the entire 8 ½ years of the revolution without a single furlough leave of absence.
• During his military career, George Washington closely escaped death on at least five occasions – despite being in the thick of the action with men wounded and dying all around him – yet was never wounded!

Abraham Lincoln

• Abraham Lincoln was the second member of his family to die by an assassin’s bullet – the other was his grandfather. Both were named Abraham, both had a wife named Mary and both had a son named Thomas. The name Abraham was never again given to any member of the family.
• Lincoln’s printed speeches and writing total 1,078,365 words – a greater figure than the entire contents of the bible, and more words than were written by William Shakespeare.
• Lincoln had a pet turkey in the White House!
• Lincoln wrote five versions of his famous 1863 Gettysburg Address and held the second version in his hand while delivering his speech – but the fifth version was the only one he signed and is carved on the Lincoln Memorial.
• More books have been written about Abraham Lincoln than any other American.

Other Presidents:

• Daniel Webster received 8,000 votes for the presidency of the United States – after he was dead!
• John Quincy Adams was elected president by the vote of one man!  In 1825 Adams, Jackson and Crawford were deadlocked until New York cast its vote.  The New York vote was evenly divided except for one man who was undecided.
• Thomas Jefferson, 3^rd president, was a botanist, soldier, lawyer, traveler, surgeon, economist, poet, inventor, builder, educator, chemist, engineer, astronomer, zoologist, naturalist, paleontologist, draftsman, artist, surveyor, mathematician, meteorologist, architect, linguist, wheelwright, musician, farmer, horseman, diplomat, lawyer, gardener, scholar…
• President John Quincy Adams kept a pet alligator in a bathtub at the White House.
• In 1841, the U.S. had 3 presidents in one month – Van Buren, Harrison and Tyler.

Media contact:

Tim O’Brien
VP Communications
Ripley Entertainment Inc.
615-646-7465 office
615-496-5949 cell
Obrien@ripleys.com

About Ripley Entertainment

Ripley Entertainment Inc. (www.ripleys.com), keepers of the venerable Ripley’s Believe It or Not! brand, is a global leader in location-based entertainment, entertaining more than 13 million annually at its 80-plus attractions in 11 countries.  In addition to its 32 Believe It or Not! Odditoriums, the Orlando, Florida-based company has publishing, licensing and broadcast divisions, best-selling books and the popular syndicated cartoon strip, Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, that still runs daily in 42 countries. Ripley Entertainment is a Jim Pattison Company, the third-largest privately held company in Canada.