Friday, February 17, 2012

10 Fun Facts About Dwight D. Eisenhower

Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States
Be sure to check out my newest book,Washington's Nightmare: A Brief History of American Political Parties, available right now at Amazon.com! 


1.  One of seven sons born to his parents, Dwight Eisenhower was born in Texas in 1890, but grew up in Abilene, Kansas.  His parents were originally Mennonites, but later became Jehovah's Witnesses.  Dwight, however, never joined the congregation, and later referred to himself as "deeply religious" but not affiliated with any "sect or organization."

2.  As a young teenager, Eisenhower injured his leg, and the infection became so severe that doctors considered amputation.  He was ultimately forced to repeat his freshman year of high school, but his leg healed completely.

3.  Entering West Point because he was too old to join the Naval Academy, Eisenhower played football but failed to make the baseball team - something he later said was one of the greatest disappointments of his life.    As a football player, he broke his leg in a game - the same leg he had injured earlier in his life - and it never fully healed.  The collegiate player he was tackling during the injury was future Hall of Famer and Olympic gold medalist Jim Thorpe.

4.  Eisenhower married Mamie Doud in 1916, and the couple had two sons.  The first son died in 1921 of scarlet fever, but the second son, born in 1922 and named John, is still living.  John gave Eisenhower four grandchildren, including a son named David, who became the namesake of the presidential retreat Camp David.  David Eisenhower, in turn, married the daughter of Richard Nixon - Eisenhower's Vice-President.

5.  During World War II, Eisenhower was elevated to the rank of 5-star general and Supreme Commander of the Allies.  He is one of only five men to ever hold a 5-star rank.  As Commander of the Allies, Eisenhower was the most powerful military man in the world, and oversaw the D-Day invasion in 1944.  Ironically, as Jehovah's Witnesses, his parents had been strict pacifists.

6.  Both parties courted Eisenhower for the 1948 presidential election, but he opted instead to remain in the military, while also becoming president of Columbia University.  Courted again in 1952, he joined the Republicans and ran against Democrat Adlai Stevenson.  Using a now famous campaign slogan - "I Like Ike" - Eisenhower won in a landslide, becoming the only former general in the 20th century to become president.  He also became the last president born in the 19th century.  When he ran again in 1956, he again defeated Stevenson in a landslide.  Despite this, his approval ratings were very low by the time he left office.

7.  Eisenhower was the first president of 50 states, achieving that distinction when Hawaii became a state in 1959.  He was also the first president with a pilot's license, having earned it in 1939.  Eisenhower is also the only 20th century president who was bald.  Finally, Eisenhower became the first president to appear on color television.  

8.  Eisenhower loved golf.  He played more than 100 rounds of golf each year, was a member of Augusta National, and had a putting green installed on the White House lawn.

9.  Eisenhower is the only president in the 20th century who never held a political office prior to becoming president, and only the 2nd in U.S. history (Zachary Taylor was the other).

10.  Eisenhower had several medical issues during his presidency, including a mild heart attack, a ventricular aneurysm, and a mild stroke.  He also suffered from Crohn's Disease and had gallbladder problems.  He lived, however, for 8 more years after leaving office in 1961, finally dying of congestive heart failure in 1969.  During his autopsy, an adrenal tumor was discovered which might have contributed to his continual heart problems late in life (he had survived several more heart attacks after leaving office).

58 comments:

Robert L. Parker said...

Thanks Scott; I enjoyed your research on Ike. We don't make men like him anymore. Maybe you can include for the future something about the Eisenhower interstate system, and how it was originally designed for national defense (safe at 100 mph, no stops) so that our borders could be defended against enemy landings, this against the backdrop of the rise of world communism.
Thanks again,
Robert

Anonymous said...

Hi, I'm doing a research report on Dwight D. Eisenhower at my school. This is really helpful so thank you for writing this. Maybe you can write another one about Dwight on his childhood, because thats the one last thing I need to learn about him. Thanks Again

From,
Julia

Otsego School District

Scott said...

Glad the post helped you out, Julia!

Anonymous said...

Hi, this as al great for my report but i need to know more on his time in WW2, that would b even more helpful! :)

From,
Paige

Burgettstown School

Unknown said...

As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I appreciate your respectful inclusion of his families association with the Witnesses faith. We were looking for interesting facts on Ike for my kindergarten daughters show n tell.

Scott said...

Thanks for reading Bridey. Glad I could help out.

Anonymous said...

what are your sources scott

Scott said...

Books, the internet.

Anonymous said...

Please do another of these "fun facts." Mabey you could do a "If he was left handed or right handed"?

Anonymous said...

what if the internet is wrong scott

Anonymous said...

what if

Anonymous said...

scott i'm your biggest fan you're hott

Anonymous said...

can i have your number

Scott said...

I admit, I AM pretty hott.

Anonymous said...

so can i have your number or???

Scott said...

My boyfriend wouldn't like that.

Anonymous said...

Thanks. That helped me a lot on my Eisenhower Report. Thank you!!!!

Scott said...

Great! Glad to help

Anonymous said...

this is boring. i need fun things like was he left handed or right handed. did he have braces << random yea stuff like that but other than that it was prettty good.

love, sabrina

Scott said...

Sorry this doesn't have all the information you're looking for, Sabrina. Of course, there are fifty gazillion other websites you can search to find information you haven't found here.

In any case, Eisenhower was right-handed.

Anonymous said...

You look like a Koala.....

BUT great information!!

Scott said...

Bahahahaha! That's a first. Thanks? :)

Anonymous said...

This information was great, I didn't realize so few people had the 5-Star rank. Very helpful, thanks again!

-An appreciative presenter

Anonymous said...

Meow

Scott said...

Thanks so much. Glad I was able to help.

Anonymous said...

Yay
:-)

Unknown said...

Thank you for the help. I am doing a report on President Eisenhower.

Unknown said...

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Translated=
Thanks for the help scott. Or does it?

Scott said...

Glad the information helped!

Anonymous said...

hey scott , I know u have heard this a lot but I am also doing a report on Dwight. And you have covered a lot of things for me. Thank you so much. Please do another info packed list of fun fact.

Scott said...

Thanks :) I'll be sure to do another info-packed list of fun facts really soon. I'm working on Woodrow Wilson right now.

Anonymous said...

thank yiu for this post!!!!!!!!! i am doing a HUGE schoolproject and your fact really helped!!!!!!

Scott said...

Glad the information helped. Now, if only you could find a spelling and grammar blog :)

Anonymous said...

this didn't help at all

Scott said...

Guess you'll have to do some research on your own then :(

Anonymous said...

This helped me a lot thank u scott

Scott said...

You're welcome!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for putting this on here it really helped me on a report i had to do in school!!!!! thanks again


Thanks,
Torin

Anonymous said...

hello! Thank you for this information! It was really helpful for my school project! :)

From,
Isadora :))

Scott said...

You're welcome! Glad I could help.

Anonymous said...

not good terible

Angelo Pizzullo said...

I did my M/A History thesis on the politics of the American highways from 1912 to present and, of course, Ike was prominent when discussing the Interstate.

Both FDR and Truman had plans on the table for an interstate highway, but Eisenhower made it a domestic priority given two life experiences.

The first was the 1919 Mechanized Cross Country convoy which Eisenhower volunteered. At the time Ike was a Lt Colonel. The conditions of the roads were horrendous. The other influence was the efficiency of the German Autobahn which Ike saw during the final days of WW II.

All his observations on the 1919 Convoy are at the Eisenhower Library's web site.

Scott said...

That's interesting. Thanks for the information!

Anonymous said...

These facts blow. Chunks.

Scott said...

Awesome! Thanks!

Scott said...

Awesome! Thanks!

Anonymous said...

It says fun facts which means you should probably put something a little more interesting.

Anonymous said...

fun man

Anonymous said...

listen to z107.9

A View From The Middle said...

Ford was bald.

Anonymous said...

This helped me in a school report, this is some good facts. Thanks for posting this!
-Anonymous (duh)

Anonymous said...

Im doing a report for school and I really need some of the bad things he has done. A link or a site to look up world really help me right now, thank you.

Dia said...

Thanks for compiling these facts. I enjoyed reading them while looking for an elusive anecdote on Eisenhower's inauguration....One detail to redo, perhaps: Jehovah's Witnesses are not pacifists, they are neutral in regard to the world's politcal affairs.

Dia said...

Thanks for compiling these facts. I enjoyed reading them while looking for an elusive anecdote on Eisenhower's inauguration....One detail to redo, perhaps: Jehovah's Witnesses are not pacifists, they are neutral in regard to the world's politcal affairs.

Scott said...

Thanks for the comment, Dia.

Anonymous said...

hoy

Unknown said...

w it was originally designed for national defense (safe at 100 mph, no stops) so that our borders could be defended against enemy landings, this against the backdrop of the rise of world communism.
Thanks again,
Robert

Reply

Anonymous2:11 PM
Hi, I'm doing a research report on Dwight D. Eisenhower at my school. This is really helpful so thank you for writing this. Maybe you can write another one about Dwight on his childhood, because thats the one last thing I need to learn about him. Thanks Again

From,
Julia

Otsego School District

Reply

Scott12:07 AM
Glad the post helped you out, Julia!

Reply

Anonymous2:19 PM
Hi, this as al great for my report but i need to know more on his time in WW2, that would b even more helpful! :)

From,
Paige

Burgettstown School

Reply

bridey rathjen11:00 PM
As one of Jehovah's Witnesses, I appreciate your respectful inclusion of his families association with the Witnesses faith. We were looking for interesting facts on Ike for my kindergarten daughters show n tell.

Reply

Scott11:36 PM
Thanks for reading Bridey. Glad I could help out.

Reply

Anonymous10:22 AM
Cool

Reply

Anonymous3:24 PM
what are your sources scott

Reply

Scott6:22 PM
Books, the internet.

Reply

Anonymous11:21 AM
Please do another of these "fun facts." Mabey you could do a "If he was left handed or right handed"?

Reply

Anonymous3:26 PM
what if the internet is wrong scott

Reply

Anonymous3:27 PM
what if

Reply

Anonymous3:27 PM
scott i'm your biggest fan you're hott

Reply

Anonymous3:27 PM
can i have your number

Reply

Scott5:20 PM
I admit, I AM pretty hott.

Reply

ound here.

In any case, Eisenhower was right-handed.

Reply

Anonymous8:17 PM
You look like a Koala.....

BUT great
Scott10:54 AM
Thanks :) I'll be sure to do another info-packed list of fun facts really soon. I'm working on Woodrow Wilson right now.

Reply

Anonymous10:23 PM
thank yiu for this post!!!!!!!!! i am doing a HUGE schoolproject and your fact really helped!!!!!!

Reply

Scott11:02 PM
Glad the information helped. Now, if only you could find a spelling and grammar blog :)

Reply

Anonymous2:15 PM
this didn't help at all

Reply

Scott2:18 PM
Guess you'll have to do some research on your own then :(

Reply

Anonymous10:53 AM
This helped me a lot thank u scott

Reply

Scott11:10 PM
You're welcome!

Reply

Anonymous1:21 PM
Thanks for putting this on here it really helped me on a report i had to do in school!!!!! thanks again


Thanks,
Torin

Reply

Anonymous7:46 PM
hello! Thank you for this information! It was really helpful for my school project! :)

From,
Isadora :))

Reply

Scott11:13 AM
You're welcome! Glad I could help.

Reply

Anonymous3:31 PM
not good terible

Reply

Angelo Pizzullo12:46 AM
I did my M/A History thesis on the politics of the American highways from 1912 to present and, of course, Ike was prominent when discussing the Interstate.

Both FDR and Truman had plans on the table for an interstate highway, but Eisenhower made it a domestic priority given two life experiences.

The first was the 1919 Mechanized Cross Country convoy which Eisenhower volunteered. At the time Ike was a Lt Colonel. The conditions of the roads were horrendous. The other influence was the efficiency of the German Autobahn which Ike saw during the final days of WW II.

All his observations on the 1919 Convoy are at the Eisenhower Library's web site.

Reply

Scott11:29 AM
That's interesting. Thanks for the information!

Reply

Anonymous8:05 AM
These facts blow. Chunks.

Reply

Scott12:52 PM
Awesome! Thanks!

Reply

Scott12:53 PM
Awesome! Thanks!

Reply

Anonymous3:52 PM
It says fun facts which means you should probably put something a little more interesting.

Reply

Anonymous11:49 AM
fun man

Reply

Anonymous11:23 AM
listen to z107.9

Reply

WFSports11:12 AM
Ford was bald.

Reply

Anonymous10:41 PM
This helped me in a school report, this is some good facts. Thanks for posting this!
-Anonymous (duh)

Reply

Anonymous9:17 AM
Im doing a report for school

Unknown said...

Tried to re-post this, but its telling me error #404??