What You Didn't Know About the U.S. Presidents Quiz

Answer: Chinese

Herbert Hoover and his wife Lou Hoover were both in China during the Boxer Rebellion. There, Lou picked up the language really quickly. Then, she taught it to her husband. By the time they entered the White House, both Hoover and Lou could speak fluent Chinese. This was really useful when they needed to converse without the whole White House listening in.

Answer: Andrew Jackson

Jackson was in a duel with Charles Dickinson. Dickinson went first and the bullet broke two of Jackson's ribs and barely missed his heart. However, Jackson lived. Jackson's first shot mis-fired, but he fired again (against the rules of duelling) and his second shot killed Dickinson. Jackson never served time in jail for his actions.

Answer: You lose!

Therefore, the woman had lost the bet for she only got two words out of the president, not more than two.

Answer: William Howard Taft

William Howard Taft weighed over 300 pounds. He was so big that a story was put around that he once got stuck in the White House bathtub. A new bathtub, one that would normally fit four full grown men, had to be installed in the White House for Taft.

Answer: Benjamin Harrison

The electric light was a new invention in Harrison's time and he was terribly afraid of it. This was a problem because during Harrison's presidency, electric lights had been installed into the White House. Harrison always ordered the White House staff to turn the lights on and off for him.

Answer: Franklin Delano Roosevelt

FDR wore dresses as a little boy. However, this wasn't such a big deal because most wealthy young boys wore dresses in the late 1800's. Another interesting fact about FDR is that he had polio and was America's only handicapped president. FDR used a wheelchair but only two pictures ever showed him sitting in one.

Answer: John F. Kennedy

John F. Kennedy's father, Joseph Kennedy, sold alcohol during the Prohibition. He made a small fortune selling gin and scotch.

Answer: Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan had an obsession with jelly beans. He constantly ate them and always kept a can overfilled with jelly beans on his desk. As a visitor stood up to leave after meeting Reagan, he would always hand the visitor a jelly bean.

Answer: William McKinley

Many times, Theodore Roosevelt had called McKinley a coward due to the fact he wouldn't war with Spain. Roosevelt was McKinley's vice president. But McKinley wasn't a coward at all. He was simply a dove (didn't believe in going to war). However, in the end, he gave in and the Spanish American War was on.

Answer: James Monroe

The story goes that in 1814 the British burned the White House which was actually grey at the time. When the White House was rebuilt, its burnt walls were painted white - hence its name. However, there are a number of references to the "White House" before 1814, so the story appears to be false.