1. parachuting
   duels
2. synchronized swimming

Jackson reportedly took part in about 100 duels in his lifetime, often (supposedly) in defense of his wife’s honor. In 1806, he was shot right in the chest and survived, while killing his opponent.

1. Sidney
   Stanley
2. just "S"

Most of America’s presidents have some sort of distinguished middle name that gives them a lofty air in the history books. Harry S. Truman’s middle name, though, was just for show — it was "S."

1. Theodore Roosevelt
   John Kennedy
2. Abraham Lincoln

Kennedy was a handsome man who used his onscreen presence to win the first televised presidential debate, against Richard Nixon. Later, he became the first commander-in-chief to hold a press conference on live TV.

1. 5 feet 4 inches
   5 feet
2. 4 feet 9 inches

George Washington and Abraham Lincoln towered over their contemporaries. James Madison, on the other hand, was short — he was 5 feet 4 inches tall.

1. the signing of the Treaty of Versailles
   War of 1812
2. Declaration of Independence

Adams died on the 50th anniversary of the Declaration of Indepedence. Even weirder? So did another former president and noted rival — Thomas Jefferson.

1. urinary tract infection
   smallpox
2. paralysis

The podiums were a great disguise. Roosevelt’s bout with polio left him unable to walk later in life, and his handlers did the best they could to hide this from a populace that didn’t have round-the-clock TV coverage of their commander-in-chief.

1. “Art the Smart"
   “Elegant Arthur"
2. “Jerkface"

With his exquisite fashion sense and love of beautiful things, he was a little on the preening side. Chester Arthur was "Elegant Arthur."

1. Bill Clinton
   Richard Nixon
2. George Washington

George Washintgon, that’s who. The Founding Father was immensely popular after leading the country to victory in the American Revolution. It’s unlikely that any other president will enjoy such widespread support.

1. He only spoke in two-syllable words.
   He had 13 children.
2. He never married.

In American politics, it’s considered unusual if men don’t marry. But James Buchanan was a notable exception, as he was a lifelong bachelor.

1. a photography studio
   a Christmas tree
2. a big desk

Pierce started what is now an annual tradition. He was the very first president to put a Christmas tree in the White House.

1. 32 days
   162 days
2. 9 minutes

Just 32 days after his inaugural address, William Harrison died. Some historians blame his long inaugural address on a cold, wet day for triggering the illness that killed him.

1. run 10 miles
   eat three pounds of bacon
2. go skinny dipping

Today, it would be a scandal across the country. But back in Adams’ day, it was OK to go skinny dipping in the Potomac River ... so that’s what he did each morning.

1. electric light switches
   sidewalks
2. door knobs

To be fair, in his day, electrical appliances were still a startling novelty. Harrison wouldn’t touch light switches because he thought the current might electrocute him.

1. a public death threat against the King of England
   a Pulitzer-winning poem
2. his own epitaph

Jefferson was a prolific writer, one who wrote his own epitaph. He didn’t bother mentioning that he was president, but he did start by indicating that he was the author of the Declaration of independence.

1. He was raised in the town of the same name.
   He had a mean left hook.
2. He hooked catfish with his bare hands.

Van Buren was "Old Kinderhook" because he was from Kinderhook, New York. Supposedly, the acronym of "Old Kinderhook" gave rise to the term "OK."

1. 13 words
   290 words
2. 3,300 words

Pierce had an exceptional memory, particularly for his inaugural speech. He somehow managed to remember all 3,300 words without. the aid of notes ... or a teleprompter.

1. butter knife
   machine gun
2. hard cider

During a presidential run, Harrison’s opponents likened him to a simplistic country man who’d rather drink booze all day than become commander-in-chief. He adopted symbols for a log cabin and hard cider to mock his opponents.

1. 2
   9
2. 15

By the way he reproduced, you’d have thought Tyler was trying to secure an heir for his monarchy. He had 15 children.

1. a nervous twitch
   a handshake
2. a gentle kiss

Before Jefferson, people were in the habit of bowing — yes, bowing — to U.S. presidents. Jefferson preferred a simple handshake.

1. a telephone
   a helicopter
2. a microwave

Hayes was the first president ever to use a telephone. And his personal number? It was "1."

1. 1
   3
2. 80

Arthur was a noted lover of all things fashionable, particularly clothes. He owned at least 80 pairs of pants.

1. Gerald Ford
   George Washington
2. Ulysses Grant

Some presidents, who will go unnamed here, eliminate public lands and parks. Others, like Ulysses Grant, take exceptional measures to preserve vital lands. Grant authorized Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park, in 1872.

1. He drank the water and became ill.
   He ran out of bubble bath.
2. He got stuck.

Taft was a large man, one who topped 330 pounds. He got stuck in the White House bathtub, which was then replaced with a larger version.

1. George Washington
   William Taft
2. Richard Nixon

William Taft was a political icon for the ages. He’s the only U.S. president who also served as the Chief Justice of the nation’s highest court.

1. 1
   6
2. 31

President Washington had famously bad teeth, and just a single chomper was left standing for his inauguration. But that single tooth felled 1,000 redcoats.

1. his schoolteacher
   his lawyer
2. his dentist

Fillmore was 19 years old at New Hope Academy ... and fell for his teacher. He and Abigail Powers later married.

1. Donald Trump
   Ronald Reagan
2. Jimmy Carter

He always sounded like a little old man because he was old from the get-go. Reagan was 69 when he was first elected.

1. piano playing
   livestock feeding
2. meditation

Truman loved to play the piano. He loved it so much, in fact, that he often woke up at 5 a.m. to play for two hours before the start of his day.

1. Liberia
   Mexico
2. Canada

James Monroe famously supported new homes for freed slaves in Liberia. It’s why the country named its capital Monrovia.

1. James Polk
   Barack Obama
2. George Washington

In the very beginning, there really were no established political parties in America. George Washingon, thus, did not stand for one side or the other.