Fun Fact 3: Benjamin Harrison was a good student and went on to study law. In 1862 he joined the military to serve in the Civil War
Fun Fact 4: Benjamin Harrison was married twice, his first wife was Caroline Lavinia Scott whom he married on October 20, 1853. His second wife was Mary Scott Lord Dimmick and they wed on April 6, 1896
Fun Fact 5: He became the 23rd president of America when he was 55 years of age in 1889 and served for 4 years until 1893
Fun Fact 6: To date Benjamin Harrison is the only US president who was grandson of another president. William Henry Harrison, was the 9th president of America and served from March 4, 1841 until April 4, 1841 he was Benjamin Harrison's grandfather, and held the shortest term in office
Fun Fact 7: Benjamin Harrison was the first president to install electricity in the White House, but everyone feared receiving an electric shock, regularly Benjamin Harrison and his wife would go to sleep leaving the lights on!
Fun Fact 8: Benjamin Harrison was given two nicknames "The Human Iceberg" so called because his character was cold and unfriendly, and "Kid Gloves" because he wore gloves made of goat skin to guard his hands from infection
Fun Fact 9: Benjamin Harrison played a key role in the First Pan-American Conference which advanced trade discussions and strengthened relationships between the US and Latin America
Fun Fact 10: Benjamin Harrison endorsed the passing of the 'Sherman Silver Purchase Act'; this enabled the government to purchase more silver than had previously been agreed
Fun Fact 11: As president Benjamin Harrison appointed the first African-American a high ranking role in government. Frederick Douglass was a former slave and became minister to Haiti in 1889
Fun Fact 12: The voice of Benjamin Harrison was recorded on wax phonograph cylinder in 1889;the 36 second recording is the first voice of a president known to be preserved
Fun Fact 13: Benjamin Harrison was the first president to lose an election to a previous president. He lost the bid for re-election in 1892 to Grover Cleveland the president who held office before him
Fun Fact 14: Benjamin Harrison was 67 years old when he died on March 13, 1901; he was buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis
Fun Fact 15: Benjamin Harrison was quoted as saying "Great lives never go out; they go on." |
