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Abraham Lincoln will go down in history as the man who led the charge to free the slaves. However, there are so many other things about the 16th president of the United States that they won’t teach you in history class.
He Was the Tallest US President of All Time
Abraham Lincoln stood 6 feet 4-inches tall, which is right up there with modern NBA players. To put this in perspective, the national average height at the time was about 5 feet 10 inches, making him roughly a foot taller than everyone else. Despite his massive stature, he weighed 180 pounds soaking wet and considerably less during his presidency.
He Is in the Wrestling HOF
The 16th POTUS wasn’t fit to wrestle in the WWE ring, but his long limbs had helped him establish an excellent amateur wrestling career. Out of over 300 recorded matches, Lincoln had won all but one. He once famously challenged a group of onlookers after handing a can of whoop-ass to an opponent, but nobody else wanted their bottoms handed over to them. Lincoln’s outstanding wrestling prowess earned him the Outstanding American honor in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
He Established the Secret Service on the Day He Was Shot
Abraham Lincoln created the US Secret Service on April 14, 1865. Later that evening, he and his wife attended the play Our American Cousin. However, even if he had signed legislation to create the Secret Service before then, their original mission was to combat counterfeit currency, not threats on the president’s life. Until after the assassination of two other presidents—James A. Garfield and William McKinley—did the Secret Service change its mission to protecting the nation’s leader in 1901.
John Wilkes Booth’s Brother Saved His Son
Only a few months prior to being fatally shot from behind, his eldest son, Todd, was pulled off of a railroad and out of harm’s way by Edwin Booth, a renowned stage actor. As a group of passengers was shuffling to get in line, they accidentally knocked Todd over, forcing him into the rail and in front of the oncoming train. Although he knew who the famous actor was, Todd had no idea of his links to John Wilkes Booth. Coincidentally, when Edwin Booth died in 1893, the Ford Theater collapsed and killed over 20 people.
His Mother Died of Milk Sickness
In 1818 and at just 9 years old, Nancy Lincoln, Abraham’s mother, died of the “milk sickness” that plagued the southern part of Indiana. Milk Sickness was later discovered to come from cows who had ingested white snakeroot, a poisonous plant that causes tremors and constipation in cows.
He Never Slept in the Lincoln Bedroom
The Lincoln Bedroom is known for many things. Lincoln famously used the room as a personal office and met with Cabinet members. It was also in this famous bedroom that he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Another this the room is known for its ghost sightings.