Presidents Day is here, and WSLS is celebrating with fun facts about presidents who were born in Virginia.
Did you know Virginia is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents, which is more than any other state? This interesting feat has earned Virginia the nickname “Mother of Presidents.” The presidents born here include George Washington (1st), Thomas Jefferson (3rd), James Madison (4th), James Monroe (5th), William Henry Harrison (9th), John Tyler (10th), Zachary Taylor (12th), and Woodrow Wilson (28th).
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If you already knew that, no worries! We’ve got eight more fun facts for you to keep handy for your next history trivia night.
[RELATED: What’s open and closed on Presidents Day this year?]
George Washington
Washington was mostly self-educated and the only major founding father without a college degree. After his father died when George was 11, financial support for formal education dried up. He left school at 15 but remained dedicated to learning and reading extensively to become a better soldier, farmer, and president.
Thomas Jefferson
Besides being the third president, Jefferson was a man of many talents. Often called the “father of American paleontology,” he was fascinated by prehistoric animals like the mammoth. During his presidency, he even received bones of a mastodon, an extinct, elephant-like mammal, at the President’s House. Jefferson was also an architect, designing his home, Monticello, his retreat, Poplar Forest, the University of Virginia, and the Virginia State Capitol.
James Madison
Known as the “Father of the Constitution,” Madison played a key role in drafting the U.S. Constitution and authored the Bill of Rights. He was also the smallest president, standing 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing about 100 pounds. In 1771, Madison became the first graduate student at the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University.
James Monroe
Monroe, the fifth president, was one of only two presidents to run effectively unopposed for re-election, with the other being George Washington. The election was almost unanimous, with Monroe receiving 231 electoral votes in the 1820 election.
William Henry Harrison
Harrison served the shortest presidential term in history, just 32 days from March 4 to April 4, 1841. He was the first president to die in office. While pneumonia was long blamed for his death, recent research suggests contaminated White House drinking water may have caused septic shock.
John Tyler
Tyler was the first vice president to succeed to the presidency after the death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison.
Zachary Taylor
Nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready,” Taylor was a career U.S. Army officer with no prior elected or appointed office experience before becoming the 12th president in 1849. He had also never voted before 1848 and cast his first vote at age 63.
Woodrow Wilson
Wilson is the only U.S. president buried in Washington, D.C. He is entombed in the Washington National Cathedral. By contrast, William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy are buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.