Richard Nixon was so good at poker that most of his first campaign for the House of Representatives was funded by poker winnings from his time in the navy.
9
Former U.S. Congressman John Jenrette once had sex with his wife on the steps of the Capitol Building during a break in a late night Congressional session.
1
In 1789, the total U.S. federal government debt was $190,000.
3
J. Edgar Hoover liked to fire FBI agents whose palms were sweaty when shaking hands.
26
In ancient Athens, the worlds first democracy, they had a process called ostracism, where once a year the people could vote on the politician they thought was most destructive to the democratic process. The “winner” was banished from Athens for 10 years.
2
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.
19
President Lyndon Johnson smoked at least 3 packs of cigarettes a day.
4
Kim Jong-il is only 5' 2'' tall. He wears four-inch lifts in his shoes to compensate for his short stature.
45