Loren’s Digging Into Presidential Trivia
Monday, February 20, is Presidents Day. Here are a few trivia questions to ponder with the answers below.
1. This president hanged several men.
2. We've often read of William Howard Taft being the largest president, but he didn't have the biggest feet. Who did?
3. Which president was the first to have his voice recorded?
4. We've had father/son and grandfather/grandson presidents. Name the two presidents who were second cousins. Before you answer, I'll tell you they had different last names.
5. There are two elderly grandsons of a former president who were living at least as recently as late last year. Big deal? Well their grandpa, the former president, was born in 1790!
- 1
This President Hanged Several Men
Before becoming president, Grover Cleveland was sheriff of Erie County in New York. Pulling the lever that sent criminals to the grave came with the job.
- 2
This President Had the Biggest Feet
President Warren Harding, whose administration was riddled with scandal, wore a size 14 shoe, biggest among presidents.
- 3
First President to have His Voice Recorded
Here's a clip of President Benjamin Harrison's voice.
- 4
Which Two Presidents were Second Cousins?
Franklin and Teddy Roosevelt were fifth cousins. However, our 12th president, Zachary Taylor, and president No. 4, James Madison, were second cousins. They shared the same great-grandpa, James Taylor.
- 5
Which Early President Still Has Living Grandsons?
This is kind of hard to believe but John Tyler, who was born way back in 1790, still has two living grandsons. Tyler had two wives and 15 children. He fathered a child at age 63 with his much younger second wife. Like father like son, as this son married a second time at age 70 to a much younger woman and fathered three children with her. Two of these children are still alive, though one is near 90 and the other just over 90 years old.