What Did the Presidents of the United States Have to Hide?

By: Ian Fortey
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
What Did the Presidents of the United States Have to Hide?
Image: Lisa Kyle Young/Photodisc/Getty Images

About This Quiz

The president of the United States gets to know things the rest of us don't. National security secrets, launch codes, diplomatic plans, and maneuvers, plus some stuff the rest of us have probably never even imagined. Being at the top of the ladder does have some perks. On the other hand, past presidents have also managed to hold a lot of things back from the rest of the country, either out of embarrassment, strategy, or something else.

And hey, everyone has secrets, right? But when it's the person you elected to run the country, to represent you and have your best interests at heart in all things they do, it can get a little nerve-wracking to discover they've been keeping a few things on the down-low, like affairs, health scares or just peculiar personal habits. Some of these secrets weren't made public until years after the president that kept them left office, making it even more bizarre.

If you want to know what secrets the walls of the White House have been keeping all these years or if you think you have a good idea about the things presidents have kept away from the public, pledge your allegiance to this quiz and see for yourself!

1 - Andrew Jacksons wife
Wiki Commons by Ralph Eleazer Whiteside Earl
What's the unusual secret about President Andrew Jackson's wife?
She was already married.
She was 40 years older than him.
She wasn't American.
She hated Jackson.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew Jackson married Rachel Donelson in 1791. Unfortunately for the happy couple, Donelson was still married to her first husband, Lewis Robards, making Jackson's marriage invalid.

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19 - Congress NSA
Petri Oeschger/Moment/Getty Images
How long did it take Congress to approve the formation of the NSA?
They never did.
One hour
One day
Seven years
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Congress was not aware that the National Security Agency was even a thing when President Truman created it. Its existence can be traced to a memo he wrote at the bottom of a larger document. It was quite a while before Congress was even aware of the agency's existence.

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14 - Warren Harding
Wiki Commons by U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
What did Warren Harding lose in a poker game?
The White House china
Lincoln's hat
Washington's teeth
Vermont
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Warren Harding was apparently not the sort of man who would turn down a game of cards, and word is he got in so bad during one game that he actually ended up losing the White House china to an opponent.

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16 - UFO
Colin Anderson Productions pty ltd/DigitalVision/Getty Images
Only one president has ever reported seeing a UFO. Who was it?
Jimmy Carter
Gerald Ford
Ronald Reagan
Lyndon Johnson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

When he was still the governor of Georgia back in 1973, Jimmy Carter filed a report about seeing an unidentified flying object in the skies above a Lions Club meeting he was attending in 1969. He says about a dozen other people witnessed the white, glowing object turn blue, then red, then back to white.

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3 - William Rufus King
Wiki Commons by George Cooke
Who did President James Buchanan live with for years?
James K. Polk
William Rufus King
Franklin Pierce
Millard Fillmore
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

William Rufus King was VP under Franklin Pierce and lived with James Buchanan for years. Though we'll never know for sure today, it was a common belief at the time that the two men were a couple, and many historians believe Buchanan was gay.

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4 - Gerald Ford
Wiki Commons by David Hume Kennerly
Gerald Ford was once on the cover of what magazine?
Playboy
Cosmopolitan
Elle
Better Homes and Gardens
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Long before he became President, Gerald Ford worked as a male model and even had a cover of Cosmo under his belt. This wasn't something he advertised when he was in office, but he was featured on a 1942 issue in his Navy uniform.

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5 - candles
Ana Maria Serrano/Moment/Getty Images
Do you know which president refused to use electricity?
Grover Cleveland
Benjamin Harrison
William Mckinley
Chester A. Arthur
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Electricity was installed in the White House in 1891 when Benjamin Harrison was president. Despite allowing the installation to occur, Harrison reportedly never touched any of the switches as he was afraid of what might happen if he did.

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6 - Richard Nixon
Wiki Commons by White House Photo Office
Richard Nixon hid his fair share of things. What was the secret about his brother?
He had people spy on his brother.
His brother was a spy.
He was paying his brother under the table.
His brother was illegitimate.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Nixon was a very mistrustful man, and that extended to even his own family. His younger brother, Donald Nixon, had some financial issues that concerned Richard, so President Nixon hired people to keep an eye on his brother and his business dealings.

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2 - Woodrow Wilson
Wiki Commons by Frank Graham Cootes
Something happened to Woodrow Wilson when he was in office that wasn't revealed until years later. What was it?
He was shot.
He contracted malaria.
He moved back to his own house.
He had a stroke.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke while he was serving as president but refused to leave the office. The extent of his condition wasn't known until about two years later, and word is his wife actually made most of the decisions for the latter part of his presidency.

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7 - mole people center of earth
fpm/E+/Getty Images
Which president actually authorized an expedition to find Mole people at the center of the Earth?
John Tyler
Martin Van Buren
Franklin Roosevelt
John Quincy Adams
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

As weird as it sounds, John Quincy Adams believed the world was hollow thanks to a man named John Cleves Symmes, Jr. Adams approved the Symmes expedition to the center of the earth and was hoping to meet a race of subterranean beings.

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8 - Calvin Coolidge
Wiki Commons by Charles Sydney Hopkinson
Word is Calvin Coolidge liked scalp massages, which isn't too weird. But with what did he like his scalp massaged?
Milk
Oatmeal
Petroleum jelly
Mud
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Believing it was healthy and improved his overall well-being, President Coolidge was known to have petroleum jelly massaged into his scalp while he ate breakfast in bed. Odds are he didn't share this at too many state dinners.

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9 - surgeries
Ruben Earth/Moment/Getty Images
Which president hid numerous back surgeries from the public?
John F. Kennedy
Lyndon Baines Johnson
Dwight Eisenhower
George Bush
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

These days JFK is remembered as a youthful president, but he suffered from a series of health concerns for much of his life. Even before he had become president, he had undergone four back surgeries and was often in severe pain.

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22 - Ulysses S. Grant
Wiki Commons by Carl Schurz
Ulysses S. Grant was known to have a fairly profound fear of what?
Bats
Blood
The dark
Fire
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Despite being so closely associated with the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant was apparently quite afraid of the sight of blood. And while many people are averse to blood, Grant hated it so much, the word is he demanded any meat he eats be grilled thoroughly so he wouldn't have to see it at all.

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10 - William Taft
Wiki Commons by United States Library of Congress
What did William Taft have installed on the USS North Carolina?
A bowling alley
A bathtub
A bar
A waterbed
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

William Taft was a man who liked a bath and had a bathtub installed on the USS North Carolina for his visit to the Panama Canal. This wasn't just a tub, though, as it weighed one ton and was massive. As an aside, you may have heard Taft once got stuck in a bathtub. That story isn't true.

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11 - hiding staff
kadrajserap/E+/Getty Images
Which president made his staff hide so he didn't have to see them?
Calvin Coolidge
Harry Truman
Herbert Hoover
Grover Cleveland
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Herbert Hoover and his wife apparently hated seeing staff and servants around the White House. Staff would literally duck behind shrubs or hide in closets so that Hoover wouldn't see them at work.

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12 - John Quincy Adams
Wiki Commons by Eggishorn
John Quincy Adams had a hobby he liked to do in the nude. What was it?
Swim
Run
Garden
Cook
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Quincy Adams was known to be an early riser, as in 4 a.m. early. He wanted to start his day refreshed so he'd often head down to the Potomac River, disrobe, and then go for a swim.

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13 - JFK
Wiki Commons by PD-USGOV.
How many times did JFK receive the last rites?
One
Two
Three
Four
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The last rites are a Catholic ritual performed when someone dies. JFK received the last rites on four separate occasions before he actually died in 1963. Kennedy had a very rough life and had nearly died from scarlet fever, then later during the war, then twice from Addison's disease.

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15 - wrestler
TerryJ/E+/Getty Images
Do you know which president was an extremely skilled wrestler?
George Washington
Abraham Lincoln
Donald Trump
Richard Nixon
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Abraham Lincoln was quite the grappler in his day though the fine details are sketchy. Unfounded rumors say he only lost one match in 300 while a more accurate representation would be that, by his own admission, he won numerous games before a man named Lorenzo Dow Thompson handed him his first loss.

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17 - scale
Tomekbudujedomek/Moment/Getty Images
It's hard to tell based on presidential portraits, but which president weighed under 100lbs?
James K. Polk
Zachary Taylor
James Madison
Millard Fillmore
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James Madison was a much tinier man than most people realize. He was only 5'4" tall, and though his weight, like anyone's, fluctuated throughout his life, the word is he never topped 100lbs.

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18 - speeding
DenGuy/E+/Getty Images
Which president was once arrested for speeding?
James Garfield
Teddy Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt
Ulysses S. Grant
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Surprisingly, Ulysses S. Grant was once arrested for speeding, which is interesting since Grant lived before the automobile. He was cited for speeding with a horse and carriage and ended up paying a $20 fine, but he skipped out on his court date.

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20 - My Little Pony
Discovery Family
Which president aced an NPR quiz about "My Little Pony?"
Barack Obama
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Donald Trump
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 2011, Bill Clinton was being interviewed on NPR's "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me," and the hosts came at him with an impromptu quiz about the cartoon "My Little Pony." Inexplicably, Clinton got all three questions correct. Is he a secret fan? We may never know.

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21 - George H Bush
Wiki Commons by Executive Office of the President of the United States
Who was George H.W. Bush's choice of running mate before Dan Quayle?
Charlton Heston
Burt Lancaster
Clint Eastwood
Charles Bronson
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Clint Eastwood was a potential running mate for George Bush senior when he was trailing Dukakis back in 1988. The team was desperate, and Eastwood had been a Republican mayor in California for a spell, so he was briefly, but seriously, considered. It was years later when that story came out.

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24 - public speaking
RichVintage/E+/Getty Images
Presidents usually have to be good orators. Which one hated public speaking so much he only did it twice?
Thomas Jefferson
Martin Van Buren
James Monroe
James Madison
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Adams once said that he never heard Thomas Jefferson speak more than three sentences together at one time during their tenure together in congress. Jefferson gave two speeches during his presidency, and they were apparently so quiet people had a hard time even hearing them.

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25 - Abraham Lincoln
Wiki Commons by Alexander Gardner
What spooky activity did Abraham Lincoln engage in while he lived in the White House?
Ghost hunting
Embalming
Casting spells
Seances
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was very much into the supernatural and reportedly held several seances in the White House, some of which Lincoln himself attended. There's no definitive word on whether Lincoln was a believer, though.

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26 - Bill Clinton
Wiki Commons by Gage Skidmore
Bill Clinton once lost what very important thing?
Air Force One
Chelsea Clinton
The nuclear codes
The keys to the White House
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Of all the things a president could lose, the nuclear codes are probably the worst one. For some time during Clinton's presidency, the codes were nowhere to be found, and no one is sure who even lost them. They were, of course, replaced, as is routine, but it was months before anyone even knew they had vanished.

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27 - George Washington
Wiki Commons by Gilbert Stuart
According to urban legend, Washington's teeth were wood, but that's not true. What were they made from?
Ivory
Corpse teeth
Granite
Chicken bones
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Wooden teeth are a lot less creepy than the truth in this case. Washington apparently only had one real tooth left in his head. The false teeth he used had been harvested from corpses.

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28 - James Knox Polk
Wiki Commons by George Peter Alexander Healy
What was banned in the White House during Polk's presidency?
Dancing
Prayer
Natural light
Meat
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James K. Polk's wife Sarah was a devout Presbyterian and banned many things from the White House, including card games, alcohol and dancing. She was known by the nickname "Sahara Sarah" for her dry, dull demeanor.

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29 - Ulysses S. Grant
Wiki Commons by U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
We bet you can't remember what the S. in Ulysses S. Grant stands for, can you?
Stanfield
Sutton
Spencer
It doesn't stand for anything.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ulysses S. Grant was born Hiram Ulysses Grant. His father made a special request that Grant be allowed into Westpoint, and the man who nominated him miswrote Grant's name. He was listed as "Cadet U.S. Grant," which he took to mean Ulysses S. Grant. The name inexplicably stuck, but the S never had a meaning.

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30 - squirrel
All kind of things in photo/Moment/Getty Images
Which president literally tried to have the squirrels on the White House grounds assassinated?
Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
Herbert Hoover
Teddy Roosevelt
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Eisenhower was a big fan of golf and liked to play on the White House grounds. Squirrels kept burying acorns on his putting green, however, and that enraged him. He ordered they be shot on sight, but the Secret Service had to step in because guns were not allowed on the grounds. The squirrels earned a reprieve and were trapped and released.

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31 - Andrew Jackson
Wiki Commons by Ralph Eleaser Whiteside Earl
Who had to be escorted from Andrew Jackson's funeral?
His widow
His son
His parrot
His dog
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Andrew Jackson had a pet parrot that needed to be escorted out of the president's funeral. What's the hidden secret here? The parrot was ejected for cursing up a storm. Jackson had apparently taught the bird how to swear, and it let loose such a disruptive string of obscenities they needed to remove it from the funeral.

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32 - Ronald Reagan
Wiki Commons by Pete Souza
Most people know Ronald Reagan used to be an actor. What less well-known job did he also try out?
Dancer
Stand-up comedian
Rodeo clown
Baseball player
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the 1950s, Reagan started losing the acting gigs that had been paying the bills for him. He shifted gears away from film and took a job in Las Vegas as a stand-up comedian for a few weeks in 1954.

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33 - John Adams
Wiki Commons by John Trumbull
Presidential pets have a long history but some are weirder than others. What was the name of John Adams' dog?
Belch
Satan
Mother
Crappy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

John Adams was the second president but the first to have pets in the White House, which made his dog Satan the first presidential pet. He also had dogs named Juno and Mark, but that seems somewhat less bizarre. Try to imagine the controversy of a modern president with a dog named Satan.

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34 - Thomas Jefferson
Wiki Commons by Rembrandt Peale
Thomas Jefferson didn't stand on formality. What unusual habit did he have?
He'd greet guests in his pajamas.
He slept during meetings.
He ate raw meat.
He'd spit on the floors.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Thomas Jefferson was a casual man of leisure and was the sort of person who entertained guests without making a big deal out of it. As such, he was known to greet people in nothing but his pajamas. Not exactly the formal image the office of President usually conveys.

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23 - Thomas Jefferson
Wiki Commons by Rembrandt Peale
One of the most well-known secrets in presidential history is about Thomas Jefferson. What was his big secret?
He shot a man in a duel.
He was illiterate.
He wasn't legally elected.
He had an affair.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Thomas Jefferson is widely believed to have had a sustained affair with Sally Hemmings, who had been one of Jefferson's slaves. Moreover, most historians believe he fathered six children with her, as well.

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35 - David Rice Atchison
Wiki Commons by Mathew Brady
There's a man who believed he was president for one day in 1849. Who was it?
David Rice Atchison
Gerald M. Neville
Louis Montague
Carroll Shelby
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

James K. Polk's presidency ended on Sunday, March 4, 1849. Zachary Taylor didn't want to be signed into office on a Sunday. So for that one day, there was technically no president. Unless you believe David Rice Atchison, who was the head of the senate and believed, with no president or vice president in office, he was effectively president for one day. It's even written on his tombstone, though legally, it was not true.

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