Presidential anecdotes
When Presidents Went Off Script: 10 crazy moments from US leaders
Image: NASA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Sure, many big moments in our history were protagonized by presidents. But today, we’d like to highlight those times when presidents found themselves at the center of odd situations and wild stories: less polished, less formal, and much crazier! Here are 10 surprising facts you probably didn’t know about our commanders-in-chief.
1
Richard Nixon proposed to his wife the day they met
Richard Nixon met Pat Ryan in 1937 while auditioning for a community theater play. According to reports, he fell head over heels for her right away, and even proposed on their very first date! Pat, showing a little more sense, said no at the time, but two years later, in June 1940, she finally said yes and became his wife. The true romantic-in-chief!
2
George H.W. Bush almost chose Clint Eastwood as his running mate
During George H.W. Bush's 1988 presidential campaign, his team considered a candidate who was definitely well-known to everyone, even people who didn’t follow politics. It was none other than Clint Eastwood, Hollywood star and former mayor of Carmel, California. Can you imagine if a movie star had been Bush’s vice president?
3
Martin Van Buren wrote an autobiography without mentioning his wife
How do you write an autobiography and leave out your wife? Well, President Martin Van Buren did exactly that. Historians suggest two reasons: at the time, it was considered poor taste to write about one’s wife, and the other reason was Van Buren’s heartbreak. Hannah Hoes Van Buren, his wife and also his childhood sweetheart, died of tuberculosis years before he became president, and some believe his grief kept him from remarrying or even talking about her.
4
William Faulkner turned down an invitation from JFK
Would you turn down a dinner invitation at the White House? Renowned writer William Faulkner did. He declined an invitation from President John F. Kennedy, who had included him in an event honoring Nobel Prize winners. Faulkner explained he was "a hundred miles away" and that it was "a long way to go just to eat."
5
Jimmy Carter wrote a children's book
Jimmy Carter wasn’t just a state senator, governor, and President of the United States. It turns out he had other interests too, including literature. Did you know he wrote a children’s book? Titled The Little Baby Snoogle-Fleejer , it was published in 1995.
6
Theodore Roosevelt didn’t think a black eye seemed presidential
Teddy Roosevelt loved boxing, but once he became president, he had to be cautious. He chose to scale back his training sessions at the White House, saying it was, in his own words, "rather absurd for a president to appear with a black eye, a swollen nose, or a cut lip."
7
Bill Clinton's cat had its own video game
Have you heard of Socks the Cat Rocks the Hill ? It was a game developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis, starring Socks, the Clinton family’s famous cat. Unfortunately, it was canceled before it ever reached the public.
8
Theodore Roosevelt had a lock of Abe Lincoln's hair
Yes, we know, the title sounds a little odd, but it’s actually a story of loyalty and admiration. When Teddy Roosevelt started his second term, he wore a ring containing a lock of hair from none other than Abraham Lincoln. It was a gift from John Hay, one of Lincoln’s private secretaries, who knew of Roosevelt’s deep respect for Honest Abe.
9
Gerald Ford worked as a model
Many presidents had hobbies, and some even held jobs outside politics before the Oval Office. One of them was Gerald Ford, who worked as a model! In fact, it was through modeling that he met the woman who would become his wife.
10
Herbert Hoover managed the football team
Speaking of hobbies and interests, Herbert Hoover had a pretty common one: He really loved sports. But here’s the interesting part: He came to manage the baseball and football teams at Stanford in 1892.
