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Presidents Day is near! There are more reasons to celebrate outside of the Holiday being Federally recognized; it’s to give commemoration to one of the Founder Fathers of the United States, George Washington. In honor of The National Park Service turning 100 Years Old in 2017, for ten certain days this year, you are afforded free administration at any one of these National Parks; President’s Day is one of those days! We encourage you to venture out to The Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, or any one of the 59 National Parks within The United States. If you go, be sure to learn a fact or two about the Presidents who have helped build this country into the greatest country in the world! Check out these 10 Presidential Facts To Help You Sound Patriotic.

1. The first United States election of 1789 was monumental. George Washington was elected unanimously into office with a collective 69 Electoral votes; John Adams became the first Vice president with 34 electoral votes. The inauguration of President George Washington was held in Federal Hall, New York City on April 30, 1789.
2. Jan 25, 1961- John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the first United States President to hold a live TV news conference after becoming President five days previous on Jan 20, 1961. The first Press Conference covered a multitude of serious subjects, giving public statements on the Famine in the Congo, the release of two American pilots from Russian custody, and the upcoming negotiations for an atomic test ban treaty with the Soviet Union and Great Britain.
3. During the time of Theodore Roosevelt’s Presidency, he became known for his hobby of Big Game Hunting. On the Smithsonian–Roosevelt African Expedition to Africa back in 1910, it was recorded that Roosevelt had collected a total of 512 specimens for the, now named, Natural Museum of Natural History. However, on a hunting trip with Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino and company in 1902, Roosevelt was presented with an opportunity to hunt a trapped small bear. The President refused to shoot the bear, calling the animal “Teddy’s Bear”. The news of this loving act began to spread throughout the Nation leading to stuffed animals being produced in his name, cartoon illustrators continued to warmly depict the “Teddy’s Bear” scene in their own rendition, and even to this day is still universally accepted as the proper name to call a cute, little bear.
4. Francis Scott Key, lyrical composer of “The Star-Spangled Banner”, wrote the United States anthem Sept. 14, 1814. It initially wasn’t the original national anthem thought. Thanks to the congressional act by Herbert Hoover no March 3, 1931, American had finally gained a song to call it’s own. Before the congressional act, God Bless American and My Country ‘tis of Thee (America) was performed during Presidential and patriotic events.
5. The construction of the White House began October 13, 1792 and was first occupied by President John Adams sometime in 1800. While it was widely known as simply The White House, the Presidential Structure was formally called the “Executive Mansion”, the “President’s Palace”, or quite simply the “President’s House”. The first US President to officially name the residency was number 26, Theodore Roosevelt.
6. Martin Van Buren, born December 5 1782 in Kinderhook, NY, was the 8th President of the United States. He was also the very first US President to be American born. Each President before had been born of British blood. The First Van Buren emigrated from Holland in 1633 and primarily spoke to Martin in Dutch, like the community of Kinderhook.
7. Thomas Jefferson, our Third US President, was the very first President to be inaugurated in Washington, DC. July 16, 1790 when DC became the Capital city of the United States with Jefferson being officially elected into US Office on March 4 1801. He would later give an icon speech, parting such unifying words “…but every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principles. We are all Republicans. We are all Federalists.”
8. We had quite a few President’s with the first name James! President James Madison, President James Monroe, President James Polk, President James Buchanan, President James Garfield, and President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter Jr.
9. The United States Presidents are no stranger to scholarly awards too! Each of these Presidents have won a Nobel Peace Prize- President Woodrow Wilson in 1920 for ending World War I and creating the League of Nations, President Jimmy Carter in 2002 for his efforts in finding “peaceful solutions to international conflicts, advancing democracy and human rights, and promoting economic and social development.” (National Archives Catalog), Vice PResident Al Gore in 2007 for his efforts to inform the masses of Climate Change, and President Barack Obama in 2009 for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and operation.

President George Washington never owned wooden teeth. While he didn’t have the world’s best teeth, often complaining about the poor condition of his dental hygiene, he did possess dentures made of ivory, gold, and lead. Wood was never carved for his mouth, nor did he ever chop down cherry tree. The tall tale, unapproved by Washington, was contrived by one of his biographers Mason Locke Weems in an attempt to make Washington more interesting than he already was. Yes, he attempted to make one of the Founding Fathers more interesting than he was already.

And there you have it! 10 Facts about many of our previous Presidents to help you sound intelligent when you’re visiting the any of the National Parks America has to offer. If you sound smarter knowing these facts, let us know on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.