PRESIDENTS

Chester Arthur's New York Apartment turned into a Grocery Store

The Way to Lincoln’s Heart: Mary Todd’s Courting Cake

It’s common knowledge among Lincoln historians that Mary Todd had a “courting cake” that she baked for Abe while they were dating after buying the recipe from her favorite bakery in Lexington, Kentucky. He declared it “the best cake I ever ate.” Here's th

The Best Baseball Players Ever, According to Richard Nixon

24 Adorable Photos of Presidents With Little Kids

Pete Souza/White House After TIME named Barack Obama its Person of the Year, it released a series of photos by Pete Souza—which included the adorable photo above, of the president pretending to get caught in Spider-Man's web (Spider-Man, in this case, wa

President Ronald Reagan with German chancellor Helmut Kohl at the Berlin Wall in 1987.

Tear Out This Line: How Ronald Reagan’s Most Famous Words Almost Got Silenced

On June 12, 1987, President Reagan stood by the Berlin Wall and implored: "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" It is one of Reagan's most famous speeches and most memorable lines—but it almost never made it past Reagan's lips.

11 Tips for That Benjamin Harrison Birthday Bash You're Probably Planning

If you’re looking for an excuse to host an impromptu Monday get-together, why not throw a birthday bash for America's last bearded president? Today happens to be Benjamin Harrison’s 179th. Here are 11 party-planning tips that’ll help you set the scene for

Awkwardness and Bawdy Talk: 7 Tales of Presidential Courtship

You may be surprised to learn that not every politician is equipped with romantic game. Here are the stories of a few presidents who had a little difficulty garnering the affections of the first lady – or at least had a few awkward moments during the cour

Conversation Starters for That John Quincy Adams Birthday Bash You're Probably Throwing

Hulton Archive/ Next week (July 11) is John Quincy Adams' birthday! While the idea of celebrating the 250th birthday of some dead guy with killer muttonchops surely appeals to any flosser, your guests might feel weird attending a party in honor of a pres

9 Historic Moments Captured in Cake

1. Eruption of Mt.

10 Amazing Letters From Presidents

We’ve scoured the Letters of Note archives once again, this time for notes from men who would hold or were holding the highest office in the land.

On Presidents and Life Expectancy

In September 1919, President Woodrow Wilson embarked on a cross-country tour to gain support for the Treaty of Versailles and his League of Nations. The grueling schedule required him to give as many as three speeches a day, and at the end of the month he

The Quick 10: 10 Political Figures' Favorite Family Recipes

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we dug up some treasured holiday recipes from political eras past and present. Here are ten families’ rhetoric-free contributions to the holiday. © Louisa Gouliamaki/epa/Corbis 1. Mitt Romney’s favorite carrot soup. In 2

19 Photos of Ronald Reagan With Various Celebrities

It seems like a good time to bring up one of my favorite websites, the Reagan Presidential Library—specifically the MEETING WITH V.I.P.s and CELEBRITIES section of the library's historical photo archives. It's a who's who of the 1980s, with shots of The G

A Brief History of Billy Beer

When the national press descended on Plains, GA, during the 1976 presidential campaign, the journalists were looking for some insight into Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter’s character. They found something even better: Carter’s hard-drinking younger b

George Peter Alexander Healy, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

5 Things You Didn't Know About John Tyler

You know that John Tyler took over the presidency when William Henry Harrison died in 1841, but what else do you know about "Tyler Too?"

10 Presidential Fashion Flubs

Hit Me With Your Best Shot: A Brief History of Presidential Pitching

"Last year, more Americans went to symphonies than went to baseball games. This may be viewed as an alarming statistic, but I think that both baseball and the country will endure." "“ President John Fitzgerald

The Quick 10: Seven Score and Six Years Ago ...

Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most powerful and meaningful speeches of all time—here are a few facts about it.

Rutherford B. Hayes: The National Hero of ... Paraguay?

In Rutherford B. Hayes' hometown of Delaware, Ohio, there's a memorial to the late U.S. president; it's a plaque that marks his birthplace, which is now a gas station. In Paraguay, people might find this fact horribly offensive.

A Brief History of Presidential Vacations

We're in the throes of summer vacation season, but at least one American is still on the job. While it's rumored that President Obama will follow in the footsteps of President Clinton and vacation on Martha's Vineyard, he hasn't had a chance to break out

Nixon's Stance on Abortion

Whether you love him or hate him, Richard Nixon is easily one of the most complex and fascinating characters we seem to tackle. In the magazine, we've talked about how he created the EPA, how he was responsible for a six-fold increase in the National Endo

Who Pays for the Obama Family's Food?

Like all presidents, Barack Obama and his family will have to pay for their own food while they're living in the White House. But does someone actually send them a bill? How does this system work?

6 Presidential Siblings and the Headaches They Caused

Every aspect of the American presidency comes under intense scrutiny, but few parts of a president's life contain as many amusing, slightly sordid anecdotes as their siblings' behavior. When a new president takes office, his ne'er-do-well siblings receive

Ollie Atkins, White House photographer, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain

11 Notable Presidential Pardons

Presidents as far back as George Washington have waited until their final days in office to sign pardons. Let's take a look at some of history's more notable ones.

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