Duane Beckett
Presidents are usually remembered for elections, speeches, wars, and scandals. But some of the best historical firsts are much stranger than that. From patents to Grammys, these are the presidential firsts that’ll bamboozle most people on trivia night.
Woodrow Wilson, the first and only president with a Ph.D.
In 1886, Woodrow Wilson completed a Ph.D. in history and political science at Johns Hopkins University. History Facts states that he is still the only U.S. president to have earned that degree.
Before that, Wilson had tried law school at the University of Virginia, then left during his second year. Academia fit him better. He later taught, wrote, and became president of Princeton University before moving into elected office.
Abraham Lincoln, the first and only president to hold a patent
Smithsonian Magazine reported that Abraham Lincoln remains the only U.S. president to hold a patent, and it’s a wonderfully specific one. On May 22, 1849, Lincoln received Patent No. 6,469 for a device designed to help lift boats over shoals using inflatable bellows.
As a young man, Lincoln spent time on riverboats, and he knew how badly sandbars could ruin a trip. The invention was never manufactured.
Theodore Roosevelt, the first president to ride in an automobile publicly
Connecticut History reports that Theodore Roosevelt rode through Hartford, Connecticut, in an electric automobile on August 22, 1902. William McKinley had ridden in an automobile before him, but Roosevelt’s ride was public, which made it the first public presidential automobile ride.
The car was a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton, and the scene sounds almost cinematic. Horses, bicycles, cars, crowds lining the streets. Like an early version of a presidential motorcade. The vehicle’s top speed was listed at 13 miles per hour.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first president to appear on television
According to the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first sitting U.S. president to appear on television on April 30, 1939. He spoke at the opening of the New York World’s Fair, at a time when TV was still more novelty than household fixture.
As most Americans wouldn’t see it, it makes the moment feel even stranger now. A president on television is normal today, but in 1939 it was a glimpse of where fame, media, and power were heading.
Jimmy Carter, the first president born in a hospital
The Associated Press reported that Jimmy Carter was born on October 1, 1924, at the Wise Clinic in Plains, Georgia, making him the first U.S. president born in a hospital. Every president before him had been born at home, which says a lot about how quickly American life changed in the early 20th century.
Carter’s first is quieter than the others, but it may be the most relatable. Hospitals became part of everyday family history for millions of Americans. For presidents, Carter was the first name in that chapter.
George W. Bush, the first president to complete a marathon
Runner’s World found that George W. Bush ran the 1993 Houston Marathon in 3:44:52 before he became president. That made him the first president to complete a full marathon.
Intellectual Takeout also listed the same marathon time in its birthday facts on Bush. Later reports about his daily pace as president vary, with Runner’s World suggesting some of the faster claims may have been overstated. Regardless, the marathon time is very impressive.
Bill Clinton, the first president to win a Grammy Award
GRAMMY.com reported that Bill Clinton won Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2004 for his role in Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf/Beintus: Wolf Tracks. He followed that with another Grammy in 2005, winning Best Spoken Word Album for the audiobook of My Life.
That made Clinton the first U.S. president to win a Grammy. It’s a very pop-culture kind of presidential first, and it still feels a little surreal.