J. Edgar Hoover liked to fire FBI agents whose palms were sweaty when shaking hands.
26
There was a pre-WWII movement called Technocracy, which held that scientists and engineers should take over the government and economy from politicians and economists. The leader of the movement was known as the Great Engineer.
6
Jimmy Carter is the first U.S. President to have been born in a hospital.
48
Former U.S. President Franklin Pierce was arrested during his term as President for running over an old lady with his horse, but the charges were later dropped.
35
Every U.S. president with a beard has been a Republican.
86
Daniel Webster, who ran for president and lost three times, declined the Vice Presidency twice, thinking it a worthless office. Both presidents who offered it later died in office, meaning that if he had accepted, he would’ve become president after all.
10
In 1789, the total U.S. federal government debt was $190,000.
3
In 1955, the citizens of São Paulo were so upset with their government that they elected a rhinoceros named Cacareco (meaning rubbish) to the city council in protest, with over 100,000 votes.
18