President’s Day is a horribly under observed holiday.
By which I mean I should totally have today off work.
But even though I’m still required to be at my job, far be it from me to let the day go uncelebrated. So I thought I’d share a few presidential fun facts. Thank you, Mr. Internet, for your help.
James Monroe, the fifth president of the United States, died on the Fourth of July, 1831. Interestingly enough, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson also died on July 4th. Sort of makes you wonder if presidents ever since have held their breath each Independence Day.
Martin Van Buren was the first president actually born an American citizen. All the presidents before him were born in the British colonies. Better not tell Donald Trump!
John Tyler had fifteen children. All I can say is Mrs. Tyler must’ve been one tired first lady.
Chester A. Arthur was known to change his pants several times a day. Apparently the dude had over 80 pairs of pants. Oddly, I couldn’t find any source mentioning why he changed his pants so often…and suddenly I wish I didn’t have such a vivid imagination.
Warren G. Harding gambled away a set of White House china. Says Mrs. Obama, “Ahhh, that’s what happened to them!”
Herbert Hoover apparently spoke chinese to his wife in order to keep their personal stories private. My question: Did Mrs. Hoover even understand chinese?
There you go. Don’t you feel smarter and oh-so-celebratory now? Do you have Presidents Day off work? Whether you do or don’t, if you could do anything today to celebrate P-Day, what would it be?
Comments 19
ROFL! As always you crack me up! So funny!
Glad it made you laugh. Who knew presidents could be so comedic?
I don’t think that holding your breath for an entire day would be such a great idea. First of all it would be impossible and secondly going 24 hours without oxygen would highly contribute to becoming one of those who died on the 4th 🙂 Also, I LOVED the mouths on Mt. Rushmore. Kind of creepy- super funny! My job thinks President’s Day is so important I got the entire second half of the month off… too bad you don’t have a slacker job like me 🙂
What I wouldn’t give to have half a month off, Laura!! As it turns out, this is slightly ironic…I wrote my post last night, complaining about not having Presidents Day off. Woke up today, ate breakfast, promptly got sick. I made it through two hours of work before coming home…I prefer to toss my cookies in private. 🙂 Anyway, so I ended up with the day partially off after all!
Yes, I’m sooo thankful to have today off. We painted our bedroom this weekend, so it’s nice to actually still have a day off to write and relax. And yep, I slept in until 8. Glorious! OK, I’ll stop making you jealous. 😛
Can I just say these facts are hilarious…and some are disturbing…like the pants one. Here’s a fun fact for you:
William Howard Taft was so um, large, that he once got stuck in his bathtub and required assistance to be removed. Hello, Crisco! Oh wait, was that invented yet?
Hilarious!! And, wow, I’m guessing that made his list of Most Embarrassing Moments as President! And to think, all Gerald Ford did was trip!
Thanks for the fun facts!
Yep, I work later today – the 3 to 10:30 shift.
Oh, thumbs down for having to work on Presidents Day!
The kids did try to convince me to give them the day off from their schoolwork – I’m such a taskmaster, making them do school on this prestigious holiday! Ha! I think I’ll have them learn all the facts you listed. It’s educational, and you cracked me up so now they want to know why I’m laughing:)
Perhaps you can share the fun facts as part of their schoolwork. Because, after all, this is important stuff to know. 🙂
I’m not off work, and my daughter isn’t out of school! How’s that for “patriotism” and “The American Way?”
I hear there are some pretty sweet sales going on today…and I’m all about saving money…so I’d probably be out (window) shopping!
Aww, sad! But if you hit some good sales, maybe that will make up for working!
The only way I get a day off is if Grandpa and Grandma take my kids for the day, LOL. I’m jealous of all those government workers! 🙂
I know! My dad’s a letter carrier…so on days like today I wonder why I didn’t follow in his footsteps. (On days when it’s ten degrees below zero, not so much!) Goodness knows people who work as hard as him deserve a day off, though!
As do moms!
Jefferson and Adams were very staunch rivals. On his death bed on Independence Day, 1826 John Adams uttered his last words. They were “Thomas Jefferson survives.” He thought Jefferson outlived him and he was so disappointed.
It is rumored that upon Adam’s death the messenger dispatched to carry the news to Jefferson’s Virginia home actually passed a messenger dispatched from THAT site to Adam’s home, also bearing sad tidings.
Just a few hours earlier Thomas Jefferson had passed away….both architects of the document that gave birth to this new Nation dead, 50 years to the day from the birth of the country they founded.
Just a couple more little fun facts about our presidents.
That is too funny, Pat! I didn’t know the two were so rivalrous. Is that a word? Funny that they’d both die on the same day…and that it happened to be the Fourth of July.
p.s. When I studied in London, one of my British friends told me the funniest thing an American ever asked him was if England had a Fourth of July. a) Because why in the world would they celebrate the day they lost the Revolutionary War and b) Because of course they have a July 4th!
Where do you find this info, Melissa?
Coming to the celebration late … one of those days.
I’ve been to Mt. Rushmore and I have to say, there are no mustaches on any of those faces. (At least, not when I was there.)
My daughter was off school today and we hung out … and that was a fine way to spend the day.
World Book Encyclopedia! Errr…nope, the Internet. It’s my friend. (But remember when World Book was like *the* resource for facts?)
Hehe, yes, I’ve been to Mt Rushmore too and no mustaches. Which is perhaps disheartening to Teddy Roosevelt.
Have fun at DT!