Not only did they fail to name winners in any of the six events, but they were equally unfortunate in their selections of horses for a place, and none of them believe now in alligators as harbingers of good fortune. Ac lectus vel risus suscipit sit amet hendrerit a venenatis. After the event, President Joe Biden and his wife adopted the tabby and named it Willow after the first ladys hometown of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania. Firestone believed the pygmy hippo would make a wonderful gift for President Coolidge, already a collector of strange and exotic pets. Did you know President John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? And Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, had a raccoon named Rebecca that walked on a leash! The Clintons had Socks the cat and Buddy the Labrador retriever; George H.W. A woman has been mauled to death by a pet crocodile in its enclosure on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Whats our next move? President Herbert Hoovers (1929-1933) younger son Allan had two pet gators in the early 1930s, which actually roamed on the White House grounds. The president then adopted the alligator as a pet. Get the best of Cracked sent directly to your inbox! . Of course, he never actually promised to stay out of the war and in April of 1917, American boys were headed overseas to fight the Kaiser. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. In the end, Chito decided Pocho could stay as a member of his family. Nixons other dogs were frequently seen playing with the lively Pasha. Bush, was also president. U.S. Government Printing Office. Known as the "Crocodile Man", Costa Rican animal lover 'Chito' swims, plays, and . But President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) outdid them all, owning dozens of animals including a one-legged rooster, dogs, cats, horses, a pony, snakes, kangaroo rats, a flying squirrel and a badger named Josiah who had a penchant for nipping peoples legs. The cubs spent two months in a cage on public view on the White Houses front lawn until Jeffersons friend Charles Peale was able to take them to be part of his growing natural history museum in Philadelphia. It created a bit of a cult . White House staff reportedly weren't so keen on Rebecca, due to her habit of clambering onto furniture, damaging expensive upholstery with her claws. Some have even gone on to be famous in their own right Barack Obama's dog Bo was a frequent star of White House photo ops. Reptile City is the perfect place for reptile enthusiasts of all levels of interest and expertise. Unfortunately, we dont know what President and Mrs. John Quincy Adamss initial reactions were to this unusual re-gifting. Wide Awake (Vol. Old Whitey was a revered war horse while Apollo was reported to be a former circus pony. In fact, there are unproven rumors of President John Quincy Adams keeping a pet alligator in the East Room's bathroom in the White house. Why was the goat so bitter? Finding no sources cited in the article, we decided to look into both stories for ourselves, beginning with the tale of Gen. Lafayette re-gifting an alligator to John Quincy Adams. Well, the grandkids used Old Whiskers as a work horse, tying a harness and miniature stagecoach to the goat who would then pull the kids around the lawn of the White House. Crocodiles have an image problem in the Philippines. Please try again. 1. When Roosevelt's son Archie got the measles, his brother Quentin thought a visit from the family pony might cheer him up. Sunny, a 1-year-old Portuguese water dog whose disposition seems to match her name, has joined Every year, September 23 is designated National Dogs in Politics Day, celebrated on the anniversary Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The president's sons Tad and Willie especially loved their goats Nanny and Nanko. The largest and toothiest of these are the alligators of not one, but two, presidents. Kaprosuchus can have lengths of up to 20 feet. Still, badgers are fierce little bastards and one wonders how the little girl was able to even get a hold of one, let alone hurl it at a passing Theodore Roosevelt as his train pulled out of some backwater train station in Kansas. The Good, the Bad and the Sheriff's Horse: a choose the page StoryQuest adventure. She even managed to yell the critter's name. Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items. According to some reports, he enjoyed using the gator to scare his guests.". President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had two grizzly bear cubs, one male and one female, which were given to him by American explorer Capt. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider lisa robertson local steals and deals today. A unique friendship between a man and a crocodile: nicknamed "Chito", Gilberto Shedden, a Costa Rican fisherman, and naturalist had an unusual friend: "Pocho", a huge crocodile longer than 5 meters (16 feet 5 inches), with a weight up to half a ton. As president from 1969 to 1974, Nixon had three dogsVicky the poodle, Pasha the terrier and King Timahoe the Irish Setter. AN ALLIGATOR HAS JUST TRIED TO EAT MY NOBLE SCROTUM!". President Lyndon Johnson had two pet beagles, Him and Her. But the first presidential kitties belonged to Abraham Lincolnhe even fed them off gold White House forks. teaches children about the presidency through pets of the presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Peter is a journalist and broadcaster who reports on public policy issues in Washington, D.C. Peter and Cheryl have two children and live in Alexandria, Virginia. "In Prague, Be Polite to the Cabby or You'll Be Sorry." 19 February 2018. The tradition of pets in the White House, especially dogs, is well-established.President Barack Obama had Bo, a Portuguese water dog. We snuggled down in a large chair together holding this beautifully illustrated book. President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had . I think that the best part of this book for kids is the interactive activity pages that they can complete after reading the story. But in 1903, one little girl--perhaps the most awesome little girl ever born--decided to throw a badger. In fact, most modern presidents have owned cats and dogs. He had an unusual gift for then president John Quincy Adams: an alligator. : . She is an award-winning writer/illustrator/publisher of dozens of books, co-founder of a successful publishing company, an accomplished and well-regarded public speaker, the former executive director of the Wheelchair Foundation, which has shipped hundreds of thousands of wheelchairs to handicapped people around the world. During an 1825 tour of the United States, French revolutionary hero the Marquis de Lafayette visited the White House. The college authorities had an argument with the poet, but . Report of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution." Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. The most popular pet by some way is a dog, owned by 30 of the 45 presidents. 0. , Hardcover Over the past decade in Adelaide River . 1922. The dog was a Portuguese water dog that they named Bo. Twitter/@TheFigen. President George W. Bush became president in 2001, eight years after his father, President George H.W. Take President John F. Kennedy, whose family menagerie in the early 1960s included Macaroni the pony, multiple horses, hamsters Debbie and Billy, dogs, parakeets, a canary, Zsa Zsa the rabbit and a cat; they all resided with the Kennedys at the White House. He owned a gamecock, a parrot, several dogs, and a bevy of horses and ponies. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. A. The stories sound both funny and scary with just the right amount of everything that is considered too good or too hilarious to be true and maybe it was. | Try Prime for unlimited fast, free shipping. In the early 1900s, President Theodore Roosevelt kept a crocodile as a pet. Photograph by Library of Congress, Corbis, VCG via Getty Images. Tipping the scales at a weighty 300+ pounds, it seems only fitting the 27th president of the United States would have a cow as his first pet. First Lady Louisa Adams also kept silkworms, and she harvested their silk for her personal sewing. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Photograph by Paul Morse, AFP, Getty Images. But this viral video will make you rethink about the very definition of the word. , Grade level COPYRIGHT 2005-2023 Cracked is published by Literally media Ltd., Jeff Bridges Dude-est Roles That Arent The Dude, 13 Non-Food Innovations from Fast Food Chains, How Hugh Grant Found New Life in Guy Ritchie Action-Comedies, Best Retired South Park Characters And If They Should Return, 7 BADASS ANIMALS PRESIDENTS HAVE KEPT AS PETS, The 6 Cutest Animals That Can Still Destroy You, I Was the Bowling Consultant on The Big Lebowski, 15 Trivia Tidbits About Trailer Park Boys, Every Purposefully Corny Joke from Norm Macdonalds Comedy Central Roast of Bob Saget, Ranked, 15 Incredible Inventions That Were, Technically, Gigantic Failures, 15 Riveting Items of Trivia That Fell Into Our Laps This Week, 5 Elaborate Mysterious Projects Carried Out Literally Underground. And dogs and cats remain the most common furbabies. which president had a pet crocodile. Calvin Coolidge owned lioncubs, a duiker, a small antelope, and ducks as well. toby o'brien raytheon salary. Martin van Buren, Jackson's successor, was also gifted wild beasts as a pet by a foreign dignitary. Most sources record that an alligator was one of such unconventional gifts. The True Story of John Quincy Adams Pet Alligator, A Brief History of 5 Failed North American Colonies, The Rise of Kpop: How a Genre Took over the World. Marquis de Lafayette was a French general who played an important part during the Revolutionary War. 0. That aligns with the roughly 85 million U.S. families who own a pet, which makes up 67% of American households, according to the 2019-2020 National Pet Owners Survey from the American Pet Products Association. , Reading age President John Tyler, 1841-1845 . Parenthetically, our research uncovered at least two other reported instances of alligators taking up residency in the executive mansion, both predating the Hoover story. You might suspect that Old Whiskers was a nickname for the 23rd president, a stodgy ol' coot with more than a passing resemblance to Obi Wan Kenobi but it was in fact the name of the goat he shared an address with, which was given to Ben's grandchildren by the ol' coot himself. President Andrew Jackson was an ex-soldier born in a Tennessee log cabin, known for his love of swearing. Odd book, but preschoolers will like the pictures. Which president had the most pets? 2. It worked! 30 August 2017. What a delightful time we, my 5 and 7 year old Grandsons, had reading this. Above: A hippo, probably fucking something. Our U.S. presidents had all kinds of pets lots of dogs and cats, of course but they also had some very strange pets. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consecte adipi. Bo, the Obamas' dog, sits in the grass at the White House. Congress argued that the cubs had been gifted to the United States, not Buren personally, and that it was up to Congress to decide what to do with them. This animal is the largest of the carnivorous kind I ever saw". There were six races on the program when the party from the White House reached the pool lawn and began to invest their money, but somehow luck seemed to be dead against them. The grizzly bear, now affectionately known as nature's surprisingly agile killing machine, was discovered by the explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark; two men with balls of steel, who were ordered by then president, Thomas Jefferson, to head west to find out just what the hell was out there. The Coolidges also had a bobcat named Smokey, who was a gift from the Great Smoky Mountains Association. A herd of sheep graze on the White House lawn during Woodrow Wilson's presidency. Publisher Do not like the way some of the presidents are portrayed. The Presidential Pet Museum. Zookeepers were able to breed them and breed them some more, to the point that the majority of pygmy hippos in captivity today are direct descendants of Billy. It also records that both the alligator among other things he gives he got while traveling were stored in the east room of the white house. She threw an actual badger at President Theodore Roosevelt. There's a certain irony to capturing and enslaving an animal from a country that was founded by freed slaves from the United States, but we digress Firestone believed the pygmy hippo would make a wonderful gift for President Coolidge, already a collector of strange and exotic pets. Please try your request again later. Just look at how happy that raccoon makes Grace. The president and first lady accepted a puppy as a gift from one of their friends, Senator Edward Kennedy. According to contemporary accounts, at Jackson's own funeral service at the family residence the bird started loudly shrieking swear words so offensive it had to be taken away. After a forest fire moves through a small California town, a class of fifth grade students reflect on how they survived, and those who didn't make it. President Zachary Taylor, 1849-1850 . It should be noted that getting your heels bitten by a wild badger was the least-violent greeting one could hope for when passing through the Roosevelt White House . And so, little Josiah the badger passed from Kansas flatland to White House opulence. Irwan, the reptile's owner, said he bought the animal 20 years ago from local fishermen who . Please try again. Quentin's animal adventures didn't end there. Among the pre-Internet mentions we encountered was a variant in the 1958 bookThe White House and Its Thirty-Three Families, by Amy La Follette Jensen, suggesting that the creature wasn't so much a gift to the White House as an item temporarily stored there: Most of the excitement [in the Adams White House] came from visiting diplomats, and throughout July and August of 1825, visitors had the thrill of meeting General Lafayette. , Little Patriot Press; Illustrated edition (February 4, 2013), Language The list of "dangerous animals . The online source most frequently cited for these claims is a highly entertaining web site called The Presidential Pet Museum. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Spotty, the English springer spaniel of President George W. Bush, runs through the White House lawn with a tennis ball. First Lady Grace Coolidge holds the family's pet raccoon, Rebecca, at a White House event. The 28th President of the United States was narrowly re-elected to a second term in 1916, running on a campaign of, "Hey, I kept us out of the war!" 4. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. Cranky. It has become a very popular trope on social media: Happy Presidents' Day. Pauline Wayne was quite the heifer herself, although how the Holstein got the name Pauline Wayne is unknown. Did you know John Quincy Adams, the 6th President of the United States, had an #alligator in the White House? We agree with Dorre, and rate the John Quincy Adams story "Unproven.". For years Pippa the terrier would bark, snap and chase away Casey the saltwater . Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was famous for his many pets. A Florida alligator with a six-foot smile, more or less, is to succeed as White House pet President Taft's famous cow, Pauline, the pony that rode in an . They are creators of the best-selling "Woodrow, the White House Mouse" and other children's books that teach young readers about government and civics. President Herbert Hoover's (1929-1933) younger son Allan had two pet gators in the early 1930s, which actually roamed on the White House grounds. They are also very intelligent creatures, and can even be trained to perform tricks. Though he concedes that the storycould be true, Dorre feels the paucity of evidence points in the other direction: I doubt that renowned suffragist Harriet Taylor Upton made up the story. By the time Billy arrived, Coolidge had amassed an assortment of dogs, birds, a wallaby and a domesticated raccoon named Rebecca, a filthy but favorite pet of the first lady. Irwan, the reptile's owner, said he bought the animal 20 years ago from local fishermen who were planning to kill it. The pet, a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette, took up residence in the unfinished second floor of the president's bedroom. Meet Thomas Jefferson's mockingbird, Dick, who ate from the president's mouth; Warren Harding's dog, Laddie Boy, who was served a birthday cake made of dog biscuits; and Teddy Roosevelt's pony, Algonquin, who rode up the White House elevator. The first is an Associated Press item, dated 9 February 1921, announcing the impending arrival of a new White House pet in the company of President-elect Warren G. Harding: Florida Alligator Will Be White House Pet. In the end, Congress won and the cubs were removed from the White House and placed in a Washington zoo. Owner Kai . And then there were Roosevelts exotics, which were given to him by dignitaries. Nana's Precious Kittens (Nana's Precious Pets). Old Whitey and Apollo . But more than dogs have lived in the White House. The wife of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, had silkworms.Herbert Hoover, the 31st president, had an opossum.And Calvin Coolidge, the 30th president, had a raccoon named Rebecca that walked on a leash!. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was famous for his many pets.His six kids had snakes, dogs, cats, a badger . What's next for bonds in 2023 after the worst year in history, Cant take statins? Harry slept in a separate bedroom from the rest of the family during his stay at the Roosevelt home. September 5, 2013 By Presidential Pet Museum. However, his most well-known pet was Checkers the cocker spaniel, who . Some were given exotic pets by foreign dignitaries, with President John Quincy Adams keeping an alligator in a bathtub. Nixon frequently took her on trips and was known for his playful nature, which she demonstrated in many of her interactions with him. You won't believe some of the animals that presidents and their families have kept as furry friends. Enjoy this heartwarming winner of the Eric Hoffer Award. The raccoon was later named Rebecca, and the first lady, Grace, would walk her on a bedazzled leash. Firman said he got the . Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. which president had a pet crocodile. They also have a very long lifespan, so owners need to be prepared to care for them for many . Rutherford not only had dogs but various other pets as the Hayes were true animal lovers. As the saying goes, behind every myth is a story about something that happened to inspire it. Nixon affectionately referred to Vicky as his little girl and took her on walks frequently. She was a gift from a Wisconsin senator who presumably thought the always hungry president would slaughter the cow and invite him over for steaks on the grill. When he was elected president in 1830 he brought his pet parrot, Poll, with him and it seems the bird picked up some of the president's own salty vocabulary. So where did she get it? Hey, fast food chains Stick to food. K - 12th grade. Bodie. He had developed a reputation as being "frisky" and, with zookeepers eager to get their hands on some pygmy hippo baby-batter, he was paired with another hippo, Hannah. (Although that was nothing compared with Roosevelts bulldog Pete, who almost caused an international incident when he tore the pants off a French ambassador.). June 7, 2018 / 9:42 AM / CBS News. We have to assume that the whole affair took place in fast-motion while somebody played "Yakety Sax" in the background. Photograph by Herbert French, PhotoQuest, Getty Images. During his many travels, he was gifted many things both practical, conventional and unconventional. ProStarSolar > Blog Classic > Uncategorized > which president had a pet crocodile. The reptile has made the news, too. Whatever the case, Adams certainly knew just what to do with the reptiles: He put them in the White House bathtub, then invited government officials to his place. Many of the residents of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue have been animal lovers, with the hallowed presidential tradition of keeping a pet in the White House stretching back to its very first occupant, John Adams. What presidents kept alligators in the White House? : When the Coen Brothers needed someone to show The Dude how to really roll, they could turn to only one man: Hall of Fame professional bowler Barry Asher, Many interesting behind-the-scenes bits have happened during the 20 years of telling tales about our favorite trailer-park residents, Bobs never bought Christmas seals he told me he wouldnt know what to feed them. 3) Powerful Bite: Remember that the title of the most powerful bite in the animal kingdom belongs to a crocodilian; and while the dwarf caiman is a fraction of the size of a saltwater crocodile, they are still deceivingly powerful animals capable of inflicting a serious wound on inexperienced reptile handlers. Lord Byron was angry with the college rules, so he brought a tame bear as a pet. After a buttery-soft Taft left office, Pauline--the last cow ever to call the White House home--was shipped back to Wisconsin. 5. Crocodiles are one of the most feared animals in the world. Peter and Cheryl Barnes are a husband and wife writing/illustrating team that specializes in educational books for children. This time, it was two tiger cubs, given to him by the Sultan of Oman. Unable to add item to List. John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the United States of America and Lafayette was a revolutionary war hero. Start the day smarter Take our news quiz . Benjamin Harrison kept a goat, Rutherford Hayes kept a Siamese cat, and Teddy Roosevelt had a zoo as unusual pets for presidents. Long before our nation had animal rights organizations and activists, some exotic animals took up residence at the White House. did a president ever keep a crocodile? Foxiz News Network. There is no definitive answer to this question, as there is no record of every president who has ever kept an alligator in the White House. 1. In all, she gave birth to 15 of his children. 34% average accuracy. We were unable to locate any earlier published references to Lafayette and his alligators, a result confirmed by presidential history blogger Howard Dorre, who reports finding no primary sources confirming the anecdote at all. Image Via John Plumbe [Public domain] / Wikimedia Commons. Now we're not promoting either tobacco use or promiscuous sex, but you have to admit that Ike the Ram was cool before the country even knew what cool was. A MediaComms.IO company. Ok, so the choice of pet itself isn't exactly unusual. While George W. Bush was president, he had three dogs and a cat at the White House. Herbert Hoover, the 31st president, had an opossum. Something went wrong. They were piled haphazardly in the comers and on sofas and chairs. During Nixons presidency, these furry friends provided him with comfort and support during some of his most difficult times. And so, Old Ike kept watch over his flock and swallowed copious amounts of tobacco. Well aware of the animal's temperament, Jefferson decided to keep the cubs anyway, describing them as "perfectly gentle" with a taste for "Indian bread" and possibly Indians, too. Male Crocodile Names. Bad news that cult recovery group just might be a cult, Below you, an entire other world operates. As all good bear cubs do, they grew too big and Jefferson decided to have them shipped to a museum in Philadelphia, storing them in cages on the White House lawn for several months until all the arrangements could be made. President Calvin Coolidge and First Lady Grace Coolidge had menagerie of animals living with them during their time in the White House, including a donkey, a bobcat, and geese. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. He used it to terrify guests for about two months before finally . Along . Previous page of related Sponsored Products. Which President had an alligator as a pet? Deasy Tuwo, who ran a . Upon moving in at 1600 Pennsylvania, Old Whiskers got busy thinking of a way to make the president look like a dumbass. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Boyd: Q. By all outward appearances, her various pursuits are going well. In the modern age you hear of all these celebrities owning exotic pets. However, it is known that some presidents, including Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt, kept alligators as pets during their time in office. To cut lawn-cutting costs in the White House during World War I, President Woodrow Wilson brought in a flock of sheep to graze the lawns and keep the grass trim. Abraham Lincoln (16th President, 1861-1865) and his family took care of many animals, including a pig, a rabbit, ponies, cats, and dogs. Below, Business Insider looks at seven of the strangest. As to the claim that alligators roamed the White House grounds during Herbert Hoover's administration, we can report more definitively that it is false. Harry, the hyena, was king of the wild animals until recently. So what's next? Which president has the craziest pet? The two made lousy parents, culminating in the death of their third child when Hannah rolled over and crushed it. But the timespan from when it would have happened to when she wrote about it and the utter lack of corroborating accounts are too much to ignore. It can still kill any human who directly interacts with it, which is why knowledgeable keeper. Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com.
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