Did you know that the cuddly stuffed animal commonly called the teddy bear was named after Theodore Roosevelt, our 26th President? But did you also know that Ol’ Felt Nose, as Roosevelt like to be called by his close friends, wasn’t the only Commander in Chief to have a popular toy forged in his honor?
The hula hoop was created with Calvin Coolidge in mind, who would often gyrate his hips passionately and arbitrarily in the Oval Office, which might explain why he was without a Vice President from 1923-1925. So consumed by a love of his own rythmic motion, many historians consider Coolidge the old timey equivalent of Shakira (true, he was more pale, but experts agree he was just as well-toned, plus he was the leader of the nation).
Another example is Gerald Ford, who inspired the slinky. One of Ford’s favorite, though hidden hobbies was being through down flights of stairs for fun. Scholars only recently learned that Ford pardoned Nixon to keep his bizarre fetish secret.
One bit of trivia that is entirely false is that Ronald Reagan denied the existance of pet rocks for the duration of his first term. Actually, Reagan very much admired the pet rock for its stoicism and loyalty. It was the rubik’s cube Reagan despised, with its flamboyant colors and mocking, pseudo-conformity. Once, when presented one as a gift from a Danish diplomat, Reagan crushed the cube to bits in his left hand, while patting the ambassador on the back in thanks with the other.
