John Quincy Adams used to go skinny-dipping in the Potomac River every morning as part of his daily routine. This was not an uncommon practice at the time, but one morning during his swim a strange thing occurred.
A female journalist, who was extremely eager for an interview with the president, decided to sit on the rock which held his clothes and would not get up until he promised her an interview. Unsurprisingly, he agreed.
Grant’s Inaugural Ball
The traditional inaugural ball was held for President Ulysses S. Grant in 1873. Everything was in place to make the evening memorable and beautiful and canaries were brought in to enhance the experience.
Unfortunately, a severe cold front came in and all of the birds froze to death. Although some attendees took the bird’s fate as a sign, others simply continued to enjoy their night.
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams, also known as JQA, was the 6th US president and served between the years 1825 to 1829. He was the son of founding father and former president, John Adams. Adams strongly supported equal rights and was an anti-slavery activist and even dubbed himself as “the acutest, the astutest, the archest enemy of southern slavery that ever existed.”
Adams believed in non-intervention whenever possible and elected not to involve America in European political affairs. He strongly opposed the annexation of Texas and has the oldest surviving presidential photograph in history, which was taken in 1843, when he was 76 years old.
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush was the 41st president of the United States and is the father of President George W. Bush. He was in office for a single term, from 1989 to 1993. Prior to his presidency, George Bush Sr. was Ronald Reagan’s vice president for 8 years. George H. W. Bush is famous for his leadership skills, especially in troubled times and his negotiation tactics, which led to a good relationship with foreign powers.
During his time in office, a variety of momentous historical events took place including the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the first Gulf War. Bush Sr. led the way on numerous historic acts, such as the Clean Air Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. He broke another record in his personal life with the longest presidential marriage in history, which lasted 73 years!
John Adams
John Adams was the 2nd US president and was in office from 1979 to 1801. He was one of the founding fathers of America and some of his achievements include the official founding of the US Navy, earning him the nickname “the father of the American Navy”.
He is also famous for settling a dispute between France and America, but only served one term as he was beaten out by Thomas Jefferson in the subsequent presidential election.