Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. He rose to fame as the supreme commander who led the Allied forces in the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe. He is also known for desegregating the military of which he wrote, “There must be no second class citizens in this country.”
In foreign policy, he obtained a truce in Korea and worked tirelessly to ease the tensions of the Cold War. Eisenhower, who was also known as Ike, was an immensely popular president with an approval rating that has rarely been matched.
Jefferson’s Obsession With the Weather
If Thomas Jefferson had not won the election, he could have easily become a meteorologist. The president was obsessed with the weather and kept a diary in which he documented the amount of rainfall and other weather patterns that occurred throughout the day.
He did not limit his observations to the White House but documented the climate wherever he went.
Harry S. Truman
The 33rd president of the United States, Harry Truman, was in office from 1945 to 1953. He was Franklin D. Roosevelt vice president and was sworn in after his death. Truman served in the military in World War I and is the only president to have ever used nuclear weapons. He dropped an atomic bomb on Japan and effectively ended World War II.
The Truman Doctrine helped fight communism around the world and his Marshall Plan helped the European economy recover from the war. He was also well known for his stubbornness, and while in office used his presidential veto power a whopping 180 times!
Eisenhower Hated Squirrels
President Eisenhower was an avid golfer but got very frustrated when squirrels kept digging up his putting green. He decided to get rid of them at all costs and ordered his valet to shoot them all.
Fortunately, the Secret Service had a better idea, they got the groundskeepers to round them up and release them in Rock Creek Park.
Theodore Roosevelt
America’s 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt, also affectionately known as Teddy, was in office from 1901 to 1909. He was well known for his talent for public speaking, administrative skills, and foreign relations. He made the top of the list due to his overall vision and expertise in economic management. He is the first president to make conservation a national issue and established numerous national parks, forests, and monuments.
He also strengthened the Navy and facilitated the construction of the Panama Canal. Roosevelt was also an active participant in the negotiations that lead to the end of the Russo-Japanese War and even won a Nobel Peace Prize.