I found an interesting article on Reader’s Digest about our presidents. 

Abraham Lincoln turned down the chance to host elephants

In 1861, the King of Siam offered to gift President Lincoln “several pairs of young male and female elephants,” which were indigenous to his country (Thailand today). The elephants could be bred to multiply, the king suggested, and the herds could be used as “beasts of burden” that could work alongside the military during the Civil War. The president politely declined the offer, opting to use steam power instead of animal labor.

Gerald Ford modeled on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine

Before he became the 38th U.S. president, Gerald Ford had a side gig as a model. In 1942, shortly after joining the Navy, he landed an uncredited spot on the cover of Cosmopolitan in his uniform. Another fun president fact? It was during this time that he met fellow model Elizabeth Bloomer, who he went on to marry. She became known to Americans as first lady Betty Ford.

John Quincy Adams approved a real-life journey to the center of the Earth

Back in the 1800s, little was known about our planet. In the absence of scientific evidence, people believed in some pretty kooky theories—like the idea that planet Earth is actually hollow. Our sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was on board with this one. The commander-in-chief even signed off on a proposed expedition by a fellow Hollow Earther and would-be explorer to the Earth’s “empty” core. But when Andrew Jackson was voted into office four years later, he put the kibosh on the journey that never was.

William Howard Taft took a custom bathtub on a trip to Panama

As legend has it, our 27th president once got stuck in a bathtub and had to be pulled out by six men. Although President William Taft did weigh 340 pounds at his heaviest, this story is wholly false. But it probably stemmed from Taft’s (very true) affinity for baths. In fact, he ordered a 7-foot-long tub that weighed a literal ton to be built and placed aboard the USS North Carolina, so he could luxuriate in it on his way to Panama.

Herbert Hoover’s White House staff hid from him

In a very diva (or perhaps just racist) move, 31st president Herbert Hoover insisted that his staff never see him around the White House—and he didn’t want to see them either. This caused quite the charade, of course, as the staff felt pressured to hide from the president whenever he was present. According to White House journalist Kenneth Walsh, staffers would “pile into closets” and “hide behind bushes so the president couldn’t see them.”

Lyndon B. Johnson proposed to Lady Bird with a $2.50 ring from Sears

In 1934, Lyndon B. Johnson, then 26, proposed to Claudia Alta “Ladybird” Taylor, 22, on their first date. Though she declined his offer, Johnson continued to woo her from afar, sending his sweetheart 90 letters in the span of about 90 days. Impatient, Johnson traveled from Washington, D.C. to Texas to arrive at her door with an ultimatum: Marry me now or forever hold your peace. As a fun first lady fact, she accepted his proposal—and the $2.50 engagement ring that came with it.

John Quincy Adams loved to skinny-dip

While in office, sixth president John Quincy Adams often swam in the Potomac River, and he preferred to do so in the buff. Adams was an early riser, and in his diaries, he wrote of waking at about 4 a.m. and taking a morning dip—nude. Though it sounds risqué now, skinny-dipping was apparently common in the 1800s.

George Washington grew cannabis

Before you start thinking the nation’s first president was a stoner, you should know that George Washington grew hemp, not marijuana (they both belong to the cannabis family). He cultivated the hemp at his estate in Mount Vernon for industrial uses, like making rope and canvas.

George W. Bush is cousins with Hugh Hefner

It turns out our 43rd president and the founder of Playboy are distant cousins. More specifically, they’re ninth cousins twice removed, sharing the same pair of great-grandparents. Another cousin shared by the two is former presidential candidate John Kerry.

Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its name

Though the residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is painted white, it was known as The Executive Mansion and The President’s Palace until October 1901, when then-president Theodore Roosevelt referred to it as The White House. The 26th president made the moniker official when he had it engraved on his stationery.

Warren Harding lost the White House china in a poker game

Here’s another interesting fact about one of the U.S. presidents: Warren Harding, our 29th president, loved a game of poker—and apparently, he was a high roller. During one of his bi-weekly poker games, Harding gambled away a set of china that had been in the White House since President Benjamin Harrison’s tenure six terms prior. He bet it all on one ill-advised hand.

Thomas Jefferson kept pet grizzly bears

During his tenure as the third U.S. president, Thomas Jefferson became the happy recipient of a wild gift: a pair of grizzly bear cubs. He kept them in a cage on the front lawn of the White House for a few months before deciding they were too dangerous to keep and bequeathing them to a museum.

Ulysses S. Grant was arrested for speeding—on a horse

A noted equestrian, our 18th U.S. president was quite confident on a horse—perhaps too confident. While driving his horse and buggy at a furious pace during his presidential tenure, Grant was pulled over twice within the span of 24 hours. The second time, one bold police officer decided to arrest the commander-in-chief, who was ultimately given a fine. Legend has it that the officer and the U.S. president became friends.

SOURCE: READERSDIGEST

I actually found a site called “Have Fun with History”.  (My middle school class would disagree that this is even possible…lol.)

FROM: havefunwithhistory.com:

10 Facts About the Mayflower Ship

The Mayflower was the vessel that brought the first English Puritans, who are now commonly referred to as the Pilgrims, from Plymouth, England to the continent of North America in 1620. The voyage of the Mayflower and the people who boarded it had a crucial part in the early colonization and settlement of the Americas. The Pilgrims were looking for religious freedom and a better living when they made the journey to the New World. The ship had set sail with the intention of docking in northern Virginia; but, adverse weather conditions and mistakes in navigation caused it to instead arrive in what is now the state of Massachusetts, in the region that is now home to the city of Plymouth. The Plymouth Colony was the first successful and long-lasting English settlement in New England, and it was founded by the Pilgrims. Plymouth was in the southeastern part of the state of Massachusetts. The voyage of the Mayflower and the settlement of the New World by the Pilgrims is an important chapter in the annals of United States history, and it is commemorated annually on Thanksgiving.

Mayflower Facts

1 At about 180 tons, she was considered a smaller cargo ship

The Mayflower was considered a smaller freight ship and was not specifically constructed for ocean journeys. It was largely used to transport goods between England and Bordeaux, such as clothing and wine. It was, however, outfitted with the required rations and supplies to complete the journey across the Atlantic and was deemed capable of meeting the voyage’s demands. Despite its small size and lack of ocean crossing experience, the Mayflower successfully brought the Pilgrims to the New World.

2 The Mayflower was a popular name for ships at the time.

During the time of James I (1603-1625), there were 26 vessels carrying the name Mayflower in the Port Books of England; it is unknown why the name was so popular. To minimize confusion with the numerous other Mayflower ships, the identity of Captain Jones’ Mayflower is based on data from her home port, her tonnage (estimated 180-200 tons), and the master’s name in 1620. It is unknown when or where the Mayflower was built, though she was designated as “of London” in later documents. In the Port Books of 1609-11, she was identified as “of Harwich” in the county of Essex, which was also the birthplace of Mayflower master Christopher Jones in 1570.

3 It was intended for two ships to travel to the New World

The Mayflower set sail from London in the middle of July 1620 and proceeded downstream on the Thames to Southampton, where it met up with the Speedwell. It was intended for the two ships to travel to the New World together, with the Mayflower transporting the majority of the pilgrims to their new home and the Speedwell acting as a supply ship along the journey. However, it didn’t take long before it became clear that the Speedwell wasn’t seaworthy, so the two ships were forced to make multiple stops for repairs along the trip. In the end, it was determined that the Mayflower would be the sole vessel upon which the Pilgrims would continue their journey, while the Speedwell would sail back to England. Because of this setback, the voyage of the Pilgrims was prolonged by several weeks, and there were fewer people on the Mayflower as a result. In spite of this, the Pilgrims persisted on their voyage until they finally reached their destination in the New World. Once there, they established the Plymouth Colony and began a new life in the Americas.

4 There are no Admiralty court documents connected to the pilgrim fathers’ voyage of 1620.

There is no subsequent record that directly refers to Jones’ Mayflower after 1616 until 1624. This is remarkable for a ship trading to London because it would not normally vanish from the records for so long. There are no Admiralty court documents connected to the pilgrim fathers’ voyage of 1620, which could be due to the odd way the pilgrims were transferred from Leyden to New England, or some of the period’s records may have been lost. By 1620, Jones, together with Christopher Nichols, Robert Child, and Thomas Short, was one of the ship’s owners. In the summer of 1620, Thomas Weston chartered her from Child and Jones to embark on the Pilgrim journey. Because of his membership in the Company of Merchant Adventurers of London, Weston played an important role in the Mayflower journey, and he finally traveled to the Plymouth Colony personally.

5 A second Mayflower sailed from London in 1629.

In 1629, another ship called the Mayflower set sail from London to the Plymouth Colony. A group of settlers set out on this expedition to establish a new settlement in the New World. Unlike the Pilgrims’ famous voyage on the Mayflower in 1620, which is regarded one of the most renowned episodes in American history, this latter voyage is less well remembered. However, it was a significant event in the history of the Plymouth Colony, contributing to the settlement’s and its existence in the New World. The voyage of the Mayflower in 1629, as well as numerous comparable voyages conducted by other ships and groups of settlers, shaped the history of the United States and its formation as a nation.

6 The Mayflower was square-rigged ship with a beakhead bow.

The Mayflower was square-rigged, which implies that its masts were rigged with square sails. Square-rigged ships were popular because of their stability and capacity to withstand strong winds, making them ideal for long trips across the open ocean. The Mayflower also had a beakhead bow, which was common on many ships of the time. This bow was distinguished by a sharp, curved prow designed to cut through the water more efficiently. The Mayflower also had a high, elevated stern, which allowed the ship to carry more cargo while also protecting the crew and passengers from rough weather. These architectural elements, combined with the ship’s robust build and skilled crew, aided the Mayflower’s memorable trip across the Atlantic and safe arrival in the New World.

7 The number of crew on board was less than 50.

The Mayflower’s commanders and crew included a captain, four mates, four quartermasters, a surgeon, carpenter, cooper, cooks, boatswains, gunners, and roughly 36 men before the mast, for a total of about 50 men. The whole crew remained with the Mayflower in Plymouth during the winter of 1620-1621, and almost half of them died during that time. The surviving crewmen traveled back to England on the Mayflower on April 15, 1621.

8 In 2020, the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s landing was celebrated.

The 400th anniversary of the Mayflower arrival occurred in 2020, marking four centuries since the famed ship and its passengers arrived on the shores of what is now Massachusetts, United States. Special displays, historical reenactments, and educational programs, as well as ceremonies and other events honoring the bravery and endurance of the Pilgrims and the crew of the Mayflower, were held to commemorate the event. The Mayflower landing and the creation of the Plymouth Colony are significant events in American history because they signify the commencement of permanent English colonization in the New World as well as the birth of one of the United States’ earliest colonies. The 400th anniversary of the Mayflower landing was an opportunity to reflect on history and remember the Pilgrims and their trip to the New World.

9 The government created a Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar, with the ship depicted on the reverse and passenger William Bradford depicted on the obverse.

The United States government struck a unique commemorative coin, the Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar, to mark the 300th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival. The coin depicts the Mayflower on the reverse and a portrait of William Bradford, one of the Pilgrims’ leaders, on the obverse. The currency was issued in 1920 and extensively disseminated as a symbol of the country’s acknowledgement of the Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ importance in American history. The Pilgrim Tercentenary half dollar is a noteworthy piece of American numismatic history, and coin collectors prize it for its historical significance and rarity. The release of this coin helped to raise attention to the Mayflower and the Pilgrims’ story, and it serves as a lasting homage to their bravery, dedication, and endurance in making the momentous voyage to the New World.

10 A replica of the Mayflower, built in 1956, can be seen at the Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The Mayflower model can be seen in the Pilgrim Memorial State Park in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This replica was created in 1956 to honor the ship’s remarkable voyage and importance in early American settlement. The replica is a full-scale wooden sailing ship that was built utilizing traditional shipbuilding processes and materials to the greatest extent possible. It serves as an educational and historical resource for visitors, allowing them to learn about the Pilgrims’ and early settlers’ hardships and experiences in the New World. The replica is a renowned tourist attraction in Plymouth and a significant symbol of American history and tradition.

SOURCE: HAVEFUNWITHHISTORY.COM; THE HISTORIAN