American Presidents

What little-known facts could you learn about FDR?

Ten Fascinating Presidential Facts to Impress on Presidents' Day

Learn a new side of the Commanders-in-Chief, from whiskey seances and magazine cover boys

James and Dolley Madison portraits, painted by Gilbert Stuar

The Surprising Raucous Home Life of the Madisons

One of America’s founding families kept their true selves for the friends and family

George Washington by Charles Willson Peale

The First State of the Union Address: Way Shorter, Way Less Clapping

In his First Annual Message to Congress, George Washington outlined the country’s most pressing issues and kicked off a flexible annual tradition

U.S. President Barack Obama participates in an "Hour of Code" event with middle-school students including Adrianna Mitchell in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House in Washington, D.C.

The First Piece of Code Written by an American President

The President participated in an introductory coding workshop as part of Computer Science Education Week

Who is this random guy? It's John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States.

Soon Enough No One Will Remember Bill Clinton

People mostly remember first and recent US presidents, forgetting almost all the ones that came between

George Washington's only complete set of dentures, made out of lead, human teeth, cow teeth and elephant ivory.  

George Washington Didn’t Have Wooden Teeth—They Were Ivory

Washington's teeth were made of a lot of things, but not wood

From the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, the nuclear "Football."

The Real Story of the "Football" That Follows the President Everywhere

Take a peek at the mysterious black briefcase that has accompanied every U.S. president since John F. Kennedy

Eleanor Roosevelt leans forward from the back seat of the Roosevelt car to catch a comment from her husband, Franklin, as they campaign for his fourth term as president.

Ken Burns' New Series, Based on Newly Discovered Letters, Reveals a New Side of FDR

In "The Roosevelts", Burns examines the towering but flawed figures who really understood how character defined leadership

Warren Harding's affair with Carrie Fulton Phillips carried on for 15 years, up through the time when he served as a U.S. senator.

Warren Harding’s Love Letters Finally Give Us Something to Remember Him For

Locked away for 50 years, the secret correspondence reveals a steamy relationship between the future president and his mistress

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton testifying before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Why Do Secretaries of State Make Such Terrible Presidential Candidates?

Before the Civil War, the cabinet position was considered a stepping stone to the Chief Executive; now, not so much

Giant pandas Hsing-Hsing (left) and Ling-Ling frolic at the National Zoological Park near Washington, DC. Photo circa 1974.

Don't Worry Mr. Nixon, the National Zoo's Pandas Figured Out How to Have Sex

President Nixon wanted to make sure Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing had enough time to "learn the ropes"

A Deeper Look at the Politicians Who Passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Fifty years later, a dive into what it took to make the historic legislation law

Unattributed photograph of William Howard Taft from 1909

Taft’s Bathtubs Weighed A Ton

Taft might not have really gotten stuck in a bathtub, but he did seem to have a fondness for them

The Smithsonian announced the first presidential portraits created using 3-D technology. The prints and the 3-D data will become part of the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.

President Obama is Now the First President to be 3D Scanned and Printed

A Smithsonian-led team earlier this year scanned the president, creating a bust and life mask for the National Portrait Gallery

Back in 2004, former U.S. President George H.W. Bush (bottom jumper) celebrated his 80th birthday with a tandem parachute jump over Texas A&M University with the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team.

George H.W. Bush Celebrated His 90th Birthday by Jumping Out of a Helicopter

At 90, Bush is still a decade short of being the world's oldest skydiver

President James A. Garfield

Spoons Stolen from President Garfield's Tomb

Something's rotten in Cleveland

George W. Bush's self portrait.

How to Get a Solo Show as an Amateur Artist: First, Serve Two Terms As President...

President George W. Bush's portraits of world leaders appear to be copied off photos available on the internet

"An illustration showing various ways that a water well (center) may become infected by typhoid fever bacteria."

Science Rewrites the Death of America’s Shortest-Serving President

William Henry Harrison may have died of typhoid fever

Document Deep Dive: Richard Nixon’s Application to Join the FBI

Fresh out of law school, the future president first hoped he could be one of J. Edgar Hoover’s agents

George Washington Liked Ice Cream So Much He Bought Ice Cream-Making Equipment for the Capital

Washington used to serve ice cream to guests at the capital

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