This photo from the Library of Congress shows the delivery of two turkeys to President Herbert Hoover in 1929. According to White House History, the tradition of sending a Thanksgiving turkey to the President goes back many years. John F. Kennedy was the first President to pardon a turkey. A pardon means showing leniency, in other words, he didn't eat it! Pardoning the turkey eventually became an annual event for every President. You might wonder what happened to all those pardoned turkeys? They have gone to several different places including George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Disney World!
There have been a lot of Presidents, more than 40, so there are a lot of oddball traditions and just plain funny stories about their quirky habits. There are even more stories about their pet projects and special accomplishments. Check out some of these books to find out behind-the-scenes stories that probably won't make it on your social studies test!
Unique Stories About U.S. Presidents!
Unique often equals funny! All the astonishing accomplishments and silly details fit to print about which President sang with his pet parrot, which one took dancing lessons, which one got a speeding ticket on a horse, which one got stuck in a bathtub, and which one ran down Pennsylvania Avenue (the street in front of the White House) chasing after a goat! Hint: the goat story is about the President from Indiana!
Teddy Roosevelt Was A Moose?
"Did you know that Theodore Roosevelt was shot before a rally, and went on to give his speech with the bullet in his chest? Or that he skinny-dipped in the Potomac River? Bet you didn't know that he had a zebra, a lion, and a one-legged rooster at the White House! Read some of the most unusual and surprising facts about the larger-than-life president, from his childhood and his Rough Rider days to his rise to politics and his complicated presidential legacy."
Abe Lincoln's Hat
"Fascinating anecdotes and broadened historical context enrich this biographical picture book that brings to life one of our nation's most revered presidents!"
Joey
The Story of Joe Biden
The story of the little boy from Scranton, Pennsylvania who grew up, moved to Wilmington, Delaware and at the age of twenty-nine became the youngest United States Senators ever elected. In 2021 he became th oldest person ever sworn in as president at 78 years-old.