Presidential Trivia for President’s Day Here on the Suncoast

Today, February 21, 2023, President’s day is a holiday in the United States celebrated on the third Monday of February to honor all those who served as presidents of the United States and, since 1879, has been the federal holiday honoring George Washington. Today is definitely a pretty big holiday with a history that defined our country from the first president to now. While that might seem daunting, we thought we might have some fun with this holiday and see how many of these presidential trivia questions are in honor of President’s Day, you know.

—Who was the shortest president?
James Madison was the shortest president at 5’4” and weighed barely over 100 pounds.

—Which president appears on the $500 bill?
William McKinley appears on the $500 bill, which was discontinued in 1969.

—Which president was the first to fly in a helicopter?
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first president to ride in a helicopter.

—Which president’s entire family owned a pair of stilts?
Every member of Teddy Roosevelt’s family owned a pair of stilts, including the first lady.

—Which president was reportedly involved in the most duals?
Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) was reportedly involved in over 100 duels, most to defend the honor of his wife, Rachel. He had a bullet in his chest from an 1806 duel and another bullet in his arm from a barroom fight in 1813 with Missouri senator Thomas Hart Benton.

—Who was the only man to be elected twice as U.S. Vice President and twice as President of the United States?
Nixon served as Vice President to President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953-1961 and was elected President in both 1969 and 1972.

—Which president banned alcohol from the White House at the behest of his first lady?
Rutherford B. Hayes

—What does the “S” in Harry S. Truman’s name stand for?
The S in President Truman’s name is actually a compromise his parents made between both of his grandfather’s names, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young. There is still controversy today about whether there should be a period after the S. 

—Which president went on record claiming to have spotted a UFO?
Jimmy Carter. In 1973, President Carter filed a report with the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena in which he claimed to have spotted a UFO in 1969. When he entered the White House, he promised to reveal the truth about alien life but later clammed up on the subject.

–Why is the US Presidential election held in early November?
While there are a few other, more technical reasons, the bottom line is that the early US government wanted to ensure that the majority of Americans could vote. The merchant class was a small minority of the total population, and most folks lived agricultural lives working on farms that their families or employers owned. While it may seem strange now, there was once a time where the average family lived off the land. As such, farming trends and schedules determined a good deal, including election processes. The first week of November was convenient for the Presidential electionbecause it fell after the harvest period but before the first pangs of hard winter weather. This ensured that farmers were free and unhindered when voting time arrived.

How did you do? Which presidential questions stumped you, and which had you going to google for more information? There have been a lot of unique, inspiring, quirky, and powerful men with the title of President of the United States bestowed on them. These are just some amazing facts out there to learn about those who have led our country since George Washington. We hope this was a fun, informative, and great way to spend this holiday.

Happy President’s Day, Suncoast!

Feature Photo Courtesy of Deposit Photos