Davy Crockett:  Contrary to popular belief, Davy Crockett, the famous folk hero, did not die by fighting to the death at the Alamo during the Mexican War for Texas. He was captured at the Alamo and later executed.

Emily Dickinson:  The beloved American poet (1830-1886) published only seven poems during her lifetime.  Volumes of her work were discovered after her death.

Dwight D. Eisenhower:  The first President to use makeup for TV appearances.

FBI:  Although not known as the FBI at the time, the agency was originated in 1908.  This was due to Attorney General Charles Bonaparte who directed that Department of Justice investigations be handled by a small group of special investigators.  It was given the name "Bureau of Investigation" in 1909.

    From 1908 to 1924, the group grew gradually.  The World War I Selective Service Act and espionage laws brought new duties.  As did the National Motor Vehicle Theft Act of 1919.  This bill curbed the transportation of stolen automobiles from state to state.

    It was in 1924 that Attorney General Harlan F. Stone appointed 29-year-old J. Edgar Hoover as Director of the Bureau.  Hoover's name is almost synonymous with F.B.I. and even today he is still the most famous Director the Bureau has ever had.  Harlan Stone, by the way, would later become Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court.

    As J. Edgar Hoover saw it, the organization was going to be a career service in which ability and good character were to be the requirements for appointment, and performance and achievement the sole basis for promotion.

Gerald R. Ford:  Once modeled men's fashions for "Look" magazine.

Ulysses S. Grant:  He smoked a lot of cigars, which led to his death of throat cancer on July 23, 1885.  His last spoken word was "water."

    Hated making speeches.  While running for president in 1868, Grant developed what he considered the perfect speech and used it on many occasions.  Here it goes:

Hail to the Chief:  We think of this song as the President's theme music.  Originally, it was an old Scottish song.  James K. Polk (1845-1849) was the first President for whom this song was played.  He wasn't a big man and he didn't stand out at parties.  Many people wouldn't even notice when he came in for his own parties!  It was Mrs. Polk's idea to announce his arrival by having this song played.

Herbert Hoover:  When Mr. and Mrs. Hoover didn't want the servants to hear what they were saying, they spoke to each other in Chinese.

Thomas Jefferson:  When he was president, Thomas Jefferson did his own grocery shopping.

Andrew Johnson:  LIKED TO SEW:  In most history books, we only know him as the gruff, swearing President that came in after Lincoln's assassination and whose performance was less-than-well revered.  What most people don't know is that he liked to sew!  It's true.  Johnson was a heck of tailor and made his own clothes.

    Johnson learned to sew when his parents signed him and his brother over as tailors' helpers.  The boys ran away, and for awhile, the future presdident had a ten-dollar reward out on him!  A few years later, Andrew Johnson set up his own tailor shop in Greeneville, Tennessee.