America’s 250th Birthday: Fun Facts about American History

Most people might know that Abraham Lincoln was the tallest president at 6 ‘4”, but did you know that no one was actually burned at the Salem witch trials? Here are some other fun facts about American history you probably didn’t know.

Presidential/Influential People of U.S. History Fun Facts

1. The teddy bear was named after Teddy Roosevelt.
2. William Henry Harrison had the shortest presidency, lasting only 31 days.
3. George Washington wasn’t the first president to live in the White House.
4. Abraham Lincoln was a professional wrestler and is in the Wrestling Hall of Fame for losing only 1 out of around 300 matches.
5. Benjamin Franklin thought the national bird should be the wild turkey.
6. There is no proof that Betsy Ross created the American flag.
7. President Lincoln was creating the Secret Service the day he was assassinated.

U.S. Historic Buildings and Artifacts

1. The White House was burned down in the War of 1812.
2. The Library of Congress was burned down in the War of 1812.
3. When they rebuilt the Library of Congress, they started by adding Thomas Jefferson’s personal collection, and they still have letters from Jefferson, Hamilton, and the Schuyler sisters.
4. They used to have a secret tunnel that connected to the capital to send books, but they sealed it up.
5. The word Pennsylvania is spelled incorrectly on the Liberty Bell.
6. The last time the Liberty Bell was rung was on George Washington’s birthday.
7. The Continental Congress voted for independence on July 2nd, not July 4th.
8. There are secret escape tunnels under the Capitol Building, white house, and the Library of Congress to save the president.
9. The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from France as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and the friendship between the two nations. It used to be used as a lighthouse!

Other

1. Calvin Graham was verified as the youngest soldier at 12 years old. He fought in World War 2.
2. Witches were not actually burned during the Salem witch trials.
3. The US-Canada border is the world’s longest at 5,525 miles long.
4. There are 574 recognized Native American tribes.
5. America’s first capital was New York, then a bunch of others for a short period of time,   such as Philadelphia, Trenton, and others. 
6. Alaska was bought for about 2 cents an acre.
7. The US Army once used camels as transportation.
8. America used to have a 20-cent coin.

Works Cited

Brown, Ken. “American History 100 Facts.” American History 100 Facts, Gilmer ISD, https://w3.gilmerisd.org/Docs/100Facts.htm.

“The Story of the Teddy Bear – Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site (U.S.” National Park Service, 24 October 2024, https://www.nps.gov/thrb/learn/historyculture/storyofteddybear.htm. Accessed 8 May 2026.

“U.S. facts and figures.” USAGov, https://www.usa.gov/facts-figures. Accessed 8 May 2026.