45 Wacky and Bizarre Facts About U.S. Presidents

U.S. presidents are people too. Meaning they, like you, have their share of embarrassing moments and bizarre life occurrences, only their issues are generally concealed or just not talked about in the open.

Considering that the general public doesn't hear about these oddly entertaining tidbits on a regular basis, Mental Floss recently put together a nearly 7-minute video recapping 45 wacky facts about America's fearless leaders.

From learning that one U.S. president was a model to finding out which leader was arrested while in office, the facts presented are certainly entertaining and intriguing. Here are some of the most hilarious and oddball factoids from the mix:

1. Gerald Ford (born Leslie Lynch King, Jr.) was a male model for Cosmopolitan magazine

2. Herbert Hoover invented a game called "Hooverball," described as a cross between volleyball, tennis and dodgeball. It was played with a medicine ball. Don't believe the claim? Check out the rules of the game, as published on the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library Association web site
3. Teddy Roosevelt once wore a ring with a piece of Abe Lincoln's hair inside of it
4. Ulysses S. Grant was pulled over by authorities while he was president and fined $20 for speeding -- on a horse
5. Franklin Pierce had bigger legal issues, though, after he was arrested during his first year in office. The reason? He allegedly ran over an old woman with a horse, but he was inevitably cleared of all charges on the basis of insufficient evidence
6. Richard Nixon proposed to his wife on their first date
7. Grover Cleveland wasn't just a president. He also acted, at one point, as a hangman. And yes, this is widely documented
8. Harry S. Truman's middle name is simply "S" (meaning: he doesn't have an actual middle name)

Watch the comical Mental Floss video for the entire array of strange facts about past U.S. presidents (hosted by John Green):

What do you think about the information provided in the clip? At the least, it certainly humanizes America's past leaders, no?

(H/T: Mashable)

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