Honest Abe, sure by now plenty of people know that Old Abraham was a fan of wrestling but did you know:
Abraham Lincoln was the first president with a beard …Or at least the first president to be seen with one. Between 1860 and 1913, all but two presidents sported a ‘stache or wicked sideburns. Per some facial-hair-enthusiasts over at Literature-And-Libation it took a lot of courage to rock a beard without a mustache the way old Abe did. Our Honorable mention for first president with facial hair is John Quincy Adams: Who had very long sideburns, but no beard by true standards.The most recent president to have facial hair was William Howard Taft who, incidentally was also our fattest president.
On Inauguration day, John Wilkes Booth, the would be assassin – was photographed with Lincoln
Lincoln had the very first inaugural photograph taken of him…with the man who would later shoot him. Though, it’s really not actually all that strange, because John Wilkes Booth was effectively the Brad Pitt of his day. He was one of the most famous actors in the world at the time of the assassination.
Lincoln supported women’s rights before it was cool
Our 16th president was the first big-wig to support, and even suggest giving women the right to vote – and this was 12 years before the first suffrage convention took place! During his time as an Illinois state legislator, Lincoln gave an on-the-record statement to a newspaper in support of “Female Suffrage”
Lincoln predicted his own death
Many people are said to have claimed they predicted their own death, much the way that famed country musician Johnny Horton did…only in true Lincoln fashion, Old Abe did it first. Just a few days before he was assassinated, Lincoln talked about a dream with Secretary of War Edwin Stanton – in his dream he heard someone crying in the White House. When he tracked down the room it was coming from, he asked who had died. The response was ‘The President’ and it was confirmed when he peered into the coffin only to see his own face.
The eerie connection between two assassinated presidents
Both men were shot in the head on a Friday.
Lincoln and Kennedy were elected to Congress 100 years apart. Lincoln was elected in 1846, Kennedy was elected in 1946.
Both men’s successors were named Johnson. Lincoln’s was Andrew Johnson, Kennedy’s was Lyndon Johsnon.
Andrew Johnson was born in 1808 while Lyndon Johnson was born in 1908, another 100 year difference.
Both men were assassinated by men who were known by three names. Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald.
The names Lincoln and Kennedy both contain seven letters.
The names of their assassins contain fifteen letters.
Lincoln was shot in a theater named Ford, Kennedy was shot in a car (a Lincoln) made by Ford.
