17 Fun Facts About U.S. Presidents

U.S. presidents come from all walks of life. Their stories are inspirational, educational, and funny too.

Prepare for President’s day (February 17) with Segmation. The only digital paint-by-numbers game is shining a light on 17 notable presidents. Bring their caricatures to life by filling out these animated pattern sets (http://www.segmation.com/products_pc_patternset_contents.asp?set=USP). Also, be sure to brush up on your presidential trivia with Segmation’s 17 fun facts.

1. The infamous cherry tree wasn’t the only tie George Washington had to fruit. He was known for making Apple brandy at his distillery in Mount Vernon.
2. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were said to be friends and rivals. Both presidents died on July 4, 1826. John Adams last words were “Thomas Jefferson survives.” The third president actually died four hours earlier.
3. President Andrew Jackson may have been a hopeless romantic. To honor his wife, he fought in many duels. It is believed that he even got into a bar fight.
4. Abraham Lincoln was one of the tallest presidents. Both he and Lyndon Johnson were reportedly 6’ 4”.
5. The 21st president cannot be found on any printed currency, but if he were alive today, he would likely be at a Men’s Warehouse. Rumors say Chester A. Arthur loved fine apparel and owned 80 pairs of pants.
6. Leroy Brown would need to watch out if he were in Grover Cleveland’s town. The 24th president went by the nickname “Buffalo Hangman”.
7. The loveable person of Teddy Roosevelt can still be experienced in the love of a child’s play toy. Teddy bears are said to be named after a news-worthy experience President Roosevelt had: on a hunting trip, he saw a bear cub but could not shoot it. This story inspired a toy manufacturer to make loveable stuffed bears.
8. In recent years, presidential golf outings have been publicly scrutinized. Back in the early 1900s, when Woodrow Wilson was in office, it was seen as a sign of perseverance. He would paint his golf balls black so he could play in the snow.
9. In 1945, the year Franklin Delano Roosevelt died, Congress voted to put his portrait on the dime because of his work to establish The March of Dimes.
10. A president who may have loved golf more than Woodrow Wilson was Dwight D. Eisenhower. It is said that he played over 800 rounds of golf while he was in office.
11. John F. Kennedy was a fan of James Bond movies, which may explain his attraction to salacious women like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Inga Arvad.
12. Southern Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson became president after the assassination of JFK. He wasn’t the first Johnson to step into office post tragedy. Andrew Johnson succeeded president Lincoln.
13. Richard Nixon was the first president to visit China. His name is still well known there (along with Elvis Presley and Jesus Christ).
14. Jimmy Carter, born in 1924, was the first president born in a hospital.
15. University of California granted the “Most Nearly Perfect Male Figure Award” to Ronald Reagan. With this title, he was asked to pose for an art class who would sculpt him as he posed nearly nude.
16. Bill Clinton is known for being a sharp man. He can recall facts and figures well. In fact, when a NPR radio quizzed him on My Little Pony trivia, he answered most of the questions correctly.
17. George W. Bush waved more than an American flag. Rumors have circulated about him being the captain of his high school cheerleading squad.

Get to know these 17 presidents better. Explore Segmation’s Presidential Caricatures. Click here.

These facts were discovered using internet searches. Some of the information, while fun, may not be valid. Please feel free to offer what you know about the U.S. presidents. We want to share your fun facts too.

For more fun facts, start with these sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/25/bill-clinton-facts_n_3497083.html

http://facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facts-about-us-presidents.html

http://mashable.com/2013/07/04/us-presidents-fun-facts/

Read more Segmation blog posts about U.S. Political Figures:

United States Presidents Were Skilled Musicians

Will the Real George Washington Please Stand Up?

Happy President’s Day!

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Honoré Daumier – The Poor Man Whose Art Lives Today

The early 1800s marked a time of significant change throughout France. The post French Revolution era came on the heels of the Industrial Revolution. At this time, political institutions and society at large were learning how to operate in a new age of evolved capabilities and lofty dreams, as well as an increased number of working poor and social upheaval. Art seemed to be the only answer to the twisted combination of confusion and excitement that plagued the century.

An artist who attempted to bring humor to the uncertainty was Honoré Daumier. Daumier was a versatile artist; he published political caricatures, made his living selling lithographs, and received praise for his impressionist paintings and life-like sculptures. Still, Daumier only experienced a small taste of success in his life. His talent was overshadowed by a greater need to earn money and stay true to his political convictions.

In 1808, Honoré Daumier was born in Marseille, France. After attempting to make his living as a poet, Honoré Daumier’s father, who moved his family to Paris in pursuit of fame and fortune, was financially broke. As a result, around 12 or 13 years of age, the soon to be artist dropped out of school and took employment at a bailiff’s office. He continued in the ways of proper employment as a bookseller’s clerk in the busy Palais-Royal area of Paris where he observed the differences of the people passing by the gardens. Inspired by their uniqueness, Daumier wanted to depict them with his art.

Daumier, at an age younger than 20, began learning about lithography. This became a useful skill that would provide him with income throughout his life. Yet, his artistic passion yearned to be able to express the people and social situations he took in each day. While he wanted to be artistic in ways of painting and sculpture, much of his time was dedicated to print-making.

Finally, in 1830, Daumier got some notoriety, as he began leveraging his marketable skills to produce caricatures for satirical publications. At this time, print publications attracted the attention of every person, from the king to a pauper. In 1832, King Louis-Philippe was disheartened by the anti-government cartoon, Gargantua, created by Daumier. The artist was sentenced to prison, and then a mental institution. This was the worst retribution the king demanded for an offending artist.

His imprisonment for this caricature marked the end of his punishments, but it did not stop him from publishing pieces of political satire. In fact, between the years 1830 and 1847 he specialized in producing lithography, cartoons, and sculptures. While he continued to work in these areas as a way of self-expression and to secure income, in 1848 there was a distinct shift in Daumier’s career. From 1848 to 1871 he thrived in an art form and style he was passionate about: impressionist painting. One reason for this change may have been the death of his 2 year old son. He and his beloved wife, Léopoldine or “Didine” suffered this loss around the time Daumier altered his artistic focus.

Honoré Daumier developed a number of talents within the sphere of art throughout his life. The context of his paintings also broadened. As he began pursuing naturalism, he depicted historical themes that highlighted the greatness of nature above men. In addition, he also used literary themes, and remained true to the subjects whom inspired him most—everyday Parisians. He felt as if true life provoked conversation about social topics of the day.

Although Daumier never made a commercial success of his art during his lifetime, he was appreciated by many. Those include: Eugene Delacroix, Edgar Degas and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. In face Corot when Daumier was destitute and without shelter, bought him a cottage.

Towards the end of his life, Daumier dedicated much of his time to sculptures and paintings. His work was considered “ahead of its time” by modern critics who did not come to fully appreciate his work until after his death. In 1879, Honoré Daumier passed away. He was near blind and in debt at the time. It is rumored he was buried in a pauper’s grave. If his life’s work in caricatures indicates anything, it is that he wouldn’t have cared; he lived life depicting the poor, living among them, and dying their death as well. As a result, his art lives on today.

Sources:
http://www.artble.com/artists/honore_daumier
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/152400/Honore-Daumier#toc1720
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/daumier/

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Happy President’s Day!

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When one thinks of competent musicians, a few names that may come to mind include Beethoven, Haydn, Schubert, and….Bill Clinton? Believe it or not, you read that correctly. Thomas Jefferson, as well as other United States Presidents such as Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon, was a skilled musician. The artistic talents of these great men are often overlooked because of the immensity of their political careers. With President’s Day fast approaching, we believe that now is the perfect time to unveil the hidden artistic abilities of past U.S. Presidents.

Thomas Jefferson was an artist. Specifically, he was a musician who played the violin. Jefferson probably became a proficient violinist by the age of 14. He was reportedly a fanatic who purchased music frequently and was keenly interested in instruments. This United States President also sang, read music, and had his children educated in the subject. At one point in his adult life, Jefferson was said to have played the violin about three hours per day. It’s obvious that this amazing individual had capabilities that reached far beyond the political arena.

Richard Nixon was also an excellent musician, his main instrument being the piano. In fact, Mr. Nixon was so skilled at playing piano that he made a musical appearance on “The Tonight Show” in 1963. He proudly performed a concerto that he had written and was accompanied by a live orchestra. America responded positively to his performance, and the studio audience wildly applauded their musically gifted President.

Are you an art lover as well as a political buff? If so, you are sure to enjoy Segmation’s Presidents caricature art. The United States President Caricature Pattern Set for SegPlay® PC features patterns for George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and many more United States Presidents. Learn more about this pattern set by visiting https://segmation.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/united-states-president-caricature-art-by-www-segmation-com//.

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Sources:

http://www.kitchenmusician.net/smoke/tjinstruments.html

http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1850902_1850905_1850907,00.html

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