Virginia’s presidents, historical past and enjoyable details for Presidents Day

Presidents Day is right here, and WSLS is celebrating with enjoyable details about presidents who have been born in Virginia.

Did you already know Virginia is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents, which is greater than every other state? This fascinating feat has earned Virginia the nickname “Mother of Presidents.” The presidents born right here embrace George Washington (1st), Thomas Jefferson (third), James Madison (4th), James Monroe (fifth), William Henry Harrison (ninth), John Tyler (tenth), Zachary Taylor (twelfth), and Woodrow Wilson (twenty eighth).

If you already knew that, no worries! We’ve acquired eight extra enjoyable details so that you can maintain helpful in your subsequent historical past trivia evening.

[RELATED: What’s open and closed on Presidents Day this year?]

George Washington

Washington was principally self-educated and the one main founding father with no school diploma. After his father died when George was 11, monetary assist for formal training dried up. He left faculty at 15 however remained devoted to studying and studying extensively to grow to be a greater soldier, farmer, and president.

Thomas Jefferson

Besides being the third president, Jefferson was a person of many abilities. Often known as the “father of American paleontology,” he was fascinated by prehistoric animals just like the mammoth. During his presidency, he even acquired bones of a mastodon, an extinct, elephant-like mammal, on the President’s House. Jefferson was additionally an architect, designing his dwelling, Monticello, his retreat, Poplar Forest, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia State Capitol.

James Madison

Known because the “Father of the Constitution,” Madison performed a key function in drafting the U.S. Constitution and authored the Bill of Rights. He was additionally the smallest president, standing 5 toes 4 inches tall and weighing about 100 kilos. In 1771, Madison grew to become the primary graduate scholar on the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University.

James Monroe

Monroe, the fifth president, was considered one of solely two presidents to run successfully unopposed for re-election, with the opposite being George Washington. The election was nearly unanimous, with Monroe receiving 231 electoral votes within the 1820 election.

William Henry Harrison

Harrison served the shortest presidential time period in historical past, simply 32 days from March 4 to April 4, 1841. He was the primary president to die in workplace. While pneumonia was lengthy blamed for his dying, latest analysis suggests contaminated White House ingesting water might have precipitated septic shock.

John Tyler

Tyler was the primary vp to succeed to the presidency after the dying of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison.

Zachary Taylor

Nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready,” Taylor was a profession U.S. Army officer with no prior elected or appointed workplace expertise earlier than turning into the twelfth president in 1849. He had additionally by no means voted earlier than 1848 and solid his first vote at age 63.

Woodrow Wilson

Wilson is the one U.S. president buried in Washington, D.C. He is entombed within the Washington National Cathedral. By distinction, William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.