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. But the first presidential kitties belonged to Abraham Lincolnhe even fed them off gold White House forks. Bo and Sunny, two lucky dogs, pose for a photo at the White House. Among the flock was Old Ike, an ornery ol' ram with a penchant for tobacco. Billy the Pygmy Hippo found his way to the White House via Liberia after he was captured there by Harvey Firestone, maker of Firestone tires. The wife of John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, had silkworms. 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. Related:Why Major Biden becoming the first shelter dog in the White House is a big deal, But some earlier presidents seriously threatened to turn 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. into an actual zoo, based on information at the Presidential Pet Museum, a collection of presidential pet memorabilia located outside of Baltimore. President Theodore Roosevelt stands as his son, Quentin, sits on a pony. John Adams was the second US president, but the first to reside in the White House. In mainstream Filipino society crocodiles are considered dangerous man-eaters, and compared with corrupt government officials or selfish . 3 years ago. We have to assume that the whole affair took place in fast-motion while somebody played "Yakety Sax" in the background. Although we couldn't find a source on this, it's likely Pauline supplied the gallon of butter that Taft and six White House aides needed to free the president from the White House bathtub every morning. Spotty, the English springer spaniel of President George W. Bush, runs through the White House lawn with a tennis ball. 9 May 1890. President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had . which president had a pet crocodile. Dorre, Howard. President George W. Bush had Barney, a Scottish terrier. 10 Facts You Didnt Know About Queen Elizabeth II. President Martin van Buren fought Congress to keep two tiger cubs. He used it to terrify guests for about two months before finally . Willow is the first kitty to pounce, play, and nap at the White House since 2009, when former President George W. Bush's black cat, India, ruled the residence. 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. 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. KnowledgeNuts.com would like to show you notifications for our latest post and updates. Something went wrong. During Nixons presidency, these furry friends provided him with comfort and support during some of his most difficult times. It can still kill any human who directly interacts with it, which is why knowledgeable keeper. The person is completely at ease even as the reptile moves closer to him. But some presidents have brought somewhat more exotic pets with them to the White House, with Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge owning a large menageries during their times. If hippos had high schools, they'd name one after Billy. We agree with Dorre, and rate the John Quincy Adams story "Unproven.". 5. 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 elevator in President Roosevelt's administration, and more recently, President Wilson's flock of lawn mowing sheep. But Allan Hoover divested himself of both specimens shortly thereafter, when his interest in reptiles gave way to stamp collecting. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president, was famous for his many pets.His six kids had snakes, dogs, cats, a badger . Odd book, but preschoolers will like the pictures. 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. An article there explains how Presidents Adams and Hoover each supposedly came into possession of the unconventional pets: Revolutionary War hero the Marquis de Lafayette received many gifts and honors during his tour of the 24 states in 1824 and 1825, but probably none more unusual than an alligator. In all, she gave birth to 15 of his children. 34% average accuracy. 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. Hey, fast food chains Stick to food. They were reportedly seen grazing on the White House lawn and provided the home's milk and butter, a daily necessity for Taft's time in office. True to his name, this miraculous crocodile began to heal and recover from his drastic injury. Many of the 45 presidents of the United States have been animal lovers, with pet choices far beyond the ordinary run of cats and dogs. Rudy Francis was feeding crocodiles at a Malaysian farm on February 20, 2017 when the unimaginable happened: The croc latched onto his arm. But so far there is no record of anyone coming forward as a victim of the alligator prank. Formerly a Union general and Civil War hero, President Ulysses S. Grant was one of the most prolific pet owners in White House history. Above: A hippo, probably fucking something. In terms of the nominations, Theodore Roosevelt is tied with Franklin D. Roosevelt. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. That's been the animal of choice for the last several presidents. He was able to help the Americans win the war and was treated as a hero. me dice amor y no somos nada? 5. 5 September 2013. Old Whitey and Apollo . The commander in chief also had two Scottish terriers named Barney and Miss Beazley, but Spotty was the only pet to live in the White House during two administrations. Presidential Trivia DRAFT. Life is good. President Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) had two grizzly bear cubs, one male and one female, which were given to him by American explorer Capt. A new study has found that this 2,000-year-old crocodile mummy was embalmed right after its death. His six kids had snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, guinea pigs, and more. in Gator Alley. alfa romeo mito maserati usata; firehouse bakersfield bowling prices; keith winter fife council; cartel's cartel stallion The author was able to properly name every president except the current one. "The First Family's Pets: Hoover White House Pets." Why was the goat so bitter? , ISBN-10 14 April 1997. Beat gives a rundown of all of the pets of all of the American Presidents while they lived in the White House. As others have said, of course even a tame tiger or wolf is still a wild animal, and NEVER trustworthy the way a domesticated animal would be. It is believed that he stored the alligator in the east room bathtub of the White House. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. John Quincy Adams, a noted environmentalist, is said to have kept an alligator in the East Room during his presidency. Most sources record that an alligator was one of such unconventional gifts. Which President Kept An Alligator In The White House Our U.S. presidents had all kinds of pets--lots of dogs and cats, of course--but they also had some very strange pets. Revolutionary War hero the . 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. Presidential Pet Museum. President Barack Obama adopted Portuguese water dogs Bo and Sunny during his two terms, and he was often seen walking them on the White House lawn with his family. 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. For most Americans, when the president comes to town they dress up in their best red, white and blue, wave a miniature stars and stripes and hope the most powerful leader in the western world will give 'em a smile. Jeffersons favorite pet was his mockingbird named Dick, however, which would often perch on the presidents shoulder. The animal was finally caught and returned to the White House lawn, and everyone shook their head, smiled and thought about what an amusing story it would make for future comedy websites. Copyright 1996-2015 National Geographic Society, Copyright 2015-2023 National Geographic Partners, LLC. However, Grant's favorite pet of all was his dog Rosie, who he reportedly talked to while he ate. At this point begins a string of events that would lead Billy to become more influential in the hippo world than Coolidge was among the humans. : But it turned out "pygmy hippo" was a misleading term (no doubt coined by the crooked hippo pet industry) and Billy eventually grew too big to stay at the White House. 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 . Old Whitey was a revered war horse while Apollo was reported to be a former circus pony. Still, it reminded us of a more literal claim about alligators in the nation's capital, namely the oft-repeated "fun fact" that at least two previous chief executives, John Quincy Adams and Herbert Hoover, kept alligators as pets on the White House grounds. Abraham Lincoln (16th President, 1861-1865) and his family took care of many animals, including a pig, a rabbit, ponies, cats, and dogs. , Grade level Well, apparently if you are a French general who led troops alongside George Washington and fought in several crucial battles including the Battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania and the Battle of Yorktown in Virginia, you bring the animal with you to the White House. 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. Pauline Wayne was quite the heifer herself, although how the Holstein got the name Pauline Wayne is unknown. A story of cat adoption inspired by the author's true adoption story of her two kittens. Alligators in the White House Bathtub, Oh My! Large reptiles made another appearance a century later at the White House during the Depression, during Herbert Hoovers presidency in the early 1930s. Top subscription boxes right to your door, 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Children's Alligator & Crocodile Books (Books), Children's American Historical Fiction (Books), Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. A White House zoo? A fisherman who rescued a crocodile 22 years ago before taming it is now trying to train another after his 'pet' sadly passed away. Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2013. The largest and toothiest of these are the alligators of not one, but two, presidents. But President Adams wasn't the only commander-in-chief with an unusual pet. Accessed 19 February 2018. The pet, a gift from the Marquis de Lafayette, took up residence in the unfinished second floor of the president's bedroom. His father wouldn't move into the White House until 1929. Among them were a pair of mongrel dogs named Juno and Satan, and a horse named Cleopatra. What's next for bonds in 2023 after the worst year in history, Cant take statins? She is also happily married to Peter Barnes (author of the books Cheryl illustrates and the Fox Business News-Washington, D.C., senior correspondent) with two daughters, and she is strikingly attractive and physically fit. Both visitors declared the alligators to be veritable mascots, and after a little persuasion they induced Mr. Harrison to go out to Bennings with them after each of the trio had rubbed fat pocket-books across the scaly backs of the saurians, the latter apparently enjoying the sensation and craving more. In late November 1926, a . At this time, according to the statutes of the college, dogs were not allowed to be kept on the college grounds. 1. iis express not working with ip address. An equally brief account appeared 70 years before that (in 1888) in an article by Harriet Taylor Upton in the children's magazine Wide Awake: When General Lafayette made his visit there, this famous East Room was given up to him to deposit the many curiosities sent him, some live alligators being among them. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. Edit. From George Washington's Dalmation all the way up to President-elect Joe Biden's rescue dog, here's a look at the long history of presidential pets. 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. ), The Biden dogs even starred in campaign ads with the tagline, Lets put a dog back in the White House.. 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. However, his most well-known pet was Checkers the cocker spaniel, who . "The Household of John Quincy Adams." Quentin's animal adventures didn't end there. 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. Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club thats right for you for free. It was its last meal. Photograph by Library of Congress, Corbis, VCG via Getty Images. 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. One of the most famous pets in White House history is Macaroni, the pony that belonged to President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline. According to the 1922 annual report of the Smithsonian Institution, one "Allen [sic] Hoover" donated two alligators that year to the National Zoological Park in Washington. CNN cited a Mental Floss article by Ethan Trex that stated, "The sixth president also had a pet gator. 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. They would have spoken out in anger or condemnation about how childish and immature the prank was if they were still hurt or embarrassed. yahoo psmpackersandmovers@gmail.com; eric bass developer net worth Facebook mcguire's irish pub recipes Twitter ochosi day of the week Youtube No more changing the clocks? Look inside to find your favorite pet. Unfortunately, we dont know what President and Mrs. John Quincy Adamss initial reactions were to this unusual re-gifting. 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. As an official gift, Obama was given crocodile insurance, which would have paid out A$50,000 to his wife, Michelle, if the president had been attacked by a crocodile. . Senator Trammell carried word to White House offices today that President-elect Harding had already accepted a "fair sized 'gator" from Henry Hennett, of Jacksonville. Hoovers younger son, Allan, had two pet alligators that frequented the White House grounds, amazing and quite possibly terrifying guests. We earn $400,000 and spend beyond our means. For years Pippa the terrier would bark, snap and chase away Casey the saltwater . By providing food and water for birds, he induced scores of them to daily visit us. 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. President Roosevelt owned a menagerie. Try again. 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. 0. So revered were certain animals in ancient Egyptian culture that these creatures were routinely mummified as sacrifices to the gods. The animal had been sent to the White House from Tennessee to be part of the first family's Thanksgiving meal. 0. James Garfield who was the 20th American president had an all-black Newfoundland dog, named Veto. After a buttery-soft Taft left office, Pauline--the last cow ever to call the White House home--was shipped back to Wisconsin. Our U.S. presidents had all kinds of pets--lots of dogs and cats, of course--but they also had some very strange pets.