Here is a brief excerpt from an especially interesting article by Li Zhou for Smithsonianmag.com.

Think you know all about the presidents? The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia from Smithsonian Books might make you think twice. President’s Day is February 19 and to honor the holiday, we offer some facts taken from the book that reveal a few unexpected things about our presidents. These include the clothing habits and social practices. It also includes defining characteristics of our commanders-in-chief.

George Washington owned a profitable whiskey distillery.

Whiskey was one of Washington’s most important business ventures at Mount Vernon. At peak production in 1799, the distillery used five stills and a boiler. It produced eleven thousand gallons of whiskey. With sales of $7,500 that year, it was perhaps the country’s largest distillery.

Washington’s plantation manager was James Anderson. He was a Scottish man with distilling experience. He urged him to start the venture. It was also an efficient way to use unsold ground wheat, corn and rye.

James Madison held the first Inaugural Ball.

There was a ball in 1789 to honor the election of George Washington. But the first official inaugural ball did not occur until 1809. That’s when Madison took office. Madison was sworn in at the U.S. Capitol.

That evening his wife hosted a gala at Long’s Hotel. Her name was Dolley Madison. The price of admissions was four dollars per ticket. Four hundred tickets were sold. This began a Washington tradition. Today the Presidential Inaugural Committee plans all the official inaugural balls.

Gerald Ford was a fashion model in his youth. He even appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan.

Ford’s first love was a woman named Phyllis Brown. She was a fashion model. Brown persuaded Ford to invest in a modeling agency and to do some modeling himself.

Together they appeared in ski resort spread of Look magazine. This was in 1940. They also appeared and on a cover of Cosmopolitan in 1942. Ultimately, the pair broke up. She wanted to continue modeling in New York. He decided to quit modeling and begin his law career.

Warren Harding had the largest shoe size.

Harding wore a size 14. Unfortunately, those big feet did not ensure that his administration would be on firm footing. It turned out that Harding’s trusted advisors were not so trustworthy. His presidency was riddled with scandal.

He died before his term was complete. His wife burned his potentially incriminating correspondence. However, his stately slippers and sporty golf shoes survive at the Smithsonian.

Four presidents have received the Nobel Peace Prize. They include Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

Roosevelt received his in 1906 for his many efforts toward international peace. This included his role in formulating the 1905 peace treaty between Russia and Japan.

Wilson was awarded the Nobel in 1919 for founding the League of Nations. It was founded after World War I.

Carter was long retired from the presidency when he won the prize in 2002. He won for his efforts to advance human rights and advance peaceful solutions to international conflicts.

Obama was honored with a Nobel in 2009 for his work toward strengthening international diplomacy and cooperation.

William Howard Taft became a Supreme Court Justice after his retirement.

Taft was a graduate of Yale and Cincinnati Law School and loved law. He was unsure about politics. He was encouraged to run by his wife, Nellie. He was also encouraged by his mentor, Theodore Roosevelt. He reluctantly accepted his party’s nomination for the presidency. He called the presidential campaign “one of the most uncomfortable four months of my life.”

After losing the 1912 election to Woodrow Wilson, Taft served as a professor of law at Yale. He was later appointed by Warren Harding as chief justice of the United States, a position he said was his greatest honor.

Theodore Roosevelt wore a lock of Lincoln’s hair during his inauguration.

Roosevelt wore a ring with a lock of Lincoln’s hair in it on March 14, 1905. It was his second inauguration. Roosevelt had been a long-time admirer of Lincoln. As a child he watched Lincoln’s funeral procession pass by his house in New York.

Roosevelt’s admiration for Lincoln was reinforced later when he met John Hay. Hay had worked for Lincoln in the White House. Hay and Roosevelt talked about Lincoln often, and Hay gave Roosevelt the ring. He knew that Roosevelt would treasure it.

* * *

Here is a direct link to the complete article.

Li Zhou is Politics and Policy Reporter for Vox.com.