1

Ronald Reagan: The Jelly Bean Fanatic

Ronald Reagan kept a jar of jelly beans on his desk in the Oval Office and on Air Force One . Blueberry was his favorite flavor, and 3.5 tons of jelly beans were shipped to Washington for his 1981 inauguration.

The Jelly Belly company even created a special blueberry flavor just for Reagan's presidential inauguration. Cabinet meetings apparently featured bowls of the colorful candies, and Reagan would munch on them during crucial policy discussions.

2

John Quincy Adams: The Naked Swimmer

John Quincy Adams had a rather unusual morning routine that would absolutely not fly today. The sixth president would wake up early, walk down to the Potomac River, strip off all his clothes, and go for a refreshing swim .

Legend has it that a female reporter once caught wind of this habit and sat on his clothes until he agreed to give her an interview. Adams apparently took it in stride, though one imagines the Secret Service would have a collective heart attack if any modern president tried this stunt.

3

Teddy Roosevelt: The One-Man Zoo

Theodore Roosevelt ran a wildlife sanctuary at the White House . His kids had a veritable menagerie that included a badger, guinea pigs, snakes, and even a one-legged rooster. There are also claims that he kept a bear and a hyena in the House. Oh, and let's not forget about the pony that his son Quentin once took up in the White House elevator.

When President Roosevelt's son Archie fell ill and was confined to bed, his brothers Kermit and Quentin decided to cheer him up by bringing their pony, Algonquin, up to his room via the White House elevator. The plan nearly backfired, though: Algonquin became so captivated by his own reflection in the elevator mirror that getting him out proved to be quite the ordeal.

4

Thomas Jefferson: Ice Cream Pioneer

After his time in France, Jefferson returned with a fancy ice cream recipe and became one of the first Americans to popularize it . He reportedly had an 18-step process for making the stuff.

The Founding Father loved ice cream so much that he designed a special ice house at Monticello, though its purpose went beyond just frozen treats. The structure stored ice and snow harvested from the Rivanna River to refrigerate fresh dairy and meats throughout the year, with ice cream being just one of the delicacies it made possible.

5

Andrew Jackson: Profanity Parrot Owner

Andrew Jackson's pet parrot, Poll, learned a colorful vocabulary from Old Hickory himself. When Jackson died in 1845, the parrot attended his funeral. Unfortunately, as some witnesses declared, Poll had to be removed from the service because the bird wouldn't stop cursing loudly at the mourners.

You have to wonder what that scene was like—somber grieving interrupted by a parrot dropping f-bombs left and right. It's both mortifying and hilarious to imagine the reverend trying to continue the eulogy while this feathered menace squawks profanities from the corner.

6

Gerald Ford: The Model President

Before Gerald Ford became president, he was a legitimate male model . In the 1940s, the future president appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine.

Ford had been a star football player at the University of Michigan, and his athletic build and fame caught the attention of photographers. He modeled to make extra money, appearing in fashion spreads and looking quite dashing, we might add.

7

LBJ: The Presidential Prankster

Lyndon B. Johnson owned an amphibious car that could drive on both land and water. His favorite party trick was to drive guests around his Texas ranch and then pretend the brakes had failed as they headed straight toward a lake . People would scream in terror as the car splashed into the water.

Then, to everyone's shock and relief, the car would simply start floating. Johnson would burst into laughter while his passengers tried to recover from their near-death experience.

8

William Howard Taft: Bathtub Troubles

William Howard Taft was America's heaviest president, weighing in at around 340 pounds. The most famous anecdote about him involves getting stuck in the White House bathtub , though historians debate whether this actually happened. What's definitely true is that he had a custom bathtub installed that could fit four normal-sized men.

9

Calvin Coolidge: The Prankster President

There are claims that Calvin Coolidge would sometimes press all the buttons on his desk to summon his staff, then hide to watch them run around confused, looking for him . Very mature, Mr. President.

Coolidge also had a pet raccoon named Rebecca, who walked on a leash around the White House grounds. Silent Cal might not have talked much, but his actions —and his choice in pets— spoke volumes about his quirky sense of humor.

10

Jimmy Carter: UFO Witness

Jimmy Carter once filed an official report claiming he saw a UFO . In 1969, before becoming president, Carter and a group of people in Georgia witnessed a strange, bright light in the sky that changed colors and moved in unusual ways. He was so convinced of what he saw that he filed paperwork with the International UFO Bureau.

Carter promised during his campaign that if elected, he would release all government information about UFOs. Once in office, though, he was reportedly told some things were too classified even for the president.

1

"Phone home"

Who wants to phone home…? That’s E.T., of course! In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) , an iconic Steven Spielberg masterpiece, Elliott (Henry Thomas) and his siblings help the sweetest alien in cinematic history contact his own kind, who accidentally left him behind.

Pat Welsh was the actress who lent her voice to the character. And "E.T… phone home" is the unforgettable line the little guy manages to utter.

2

"I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse"

You can imagine the line in a whisper, for better context. But you probably don’t need it. Most viewers will remember this legendary threat, which belongs to The Godfather (1972), directed by Francis Ford Coppola and anchored by Marlon Brando’s unforgettable turn as Vito Corleone.

3

"I see dead people"

A movie no one could watch only once! This line, permanently etched into pop culture, comes from the chilling The Sixth Sense , written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, and delivered with eerie calm by Haley Joel Osment to his costar Bruce Willis.

4

"Life is like a box of chocolates"

Whose mama always said that life was "like a box of chocolates: you never know what you’re gonna get?" It was Forrest Gump’s, of course!

The unforgettable 1994 movie was directed by Robert Zemeckis and carried by Tom Hanks’ Oscar-winning performance. Spoken on a park bench, the quote summarizes the film’s philosophy: life is unpredictable, but somehow that’s okay.

5

"I’ll have what she’s having"

A little clue: This line is delivered inside a deli. Katz’s Delicatessen, on the Lower East Side of New York, to be specific. But you probably don’t need the clue if you’re a fan of classic rom-coms –or if you’ve watched the infamous scene endlessly shared on the internet.

It is taken, of course, from When Harry Met Sally , directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron. And, did you know? The lady who says the legendary line was played by none other than Estelle Reiner, Rob’s mom, after Sally (Meg Ryan) fakes an orgasm to prove a point to her pal Harry (Billy Crystal).

6

"Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn"

Few lines have ever closed a film with such perfect indifference. This famously unapologetic farewell comes from 1939’s Gone with the Wind , delivered by Clark Gable as Rhett Butler opposite Vivien Leigh’s unforgettable Scarlett O’Hara.

7

"Are you not entertained?"

A booming challenge, roared from a scene filled with blood and sand… Of course, it belongs to none other than Ridley Scott’s Gladiator (2000), starring Russell Crowe in his Oscar-winning performance as Maximus.

8

"You’re going to need a bigger boat"

Dun-dun… This line comes from 1975’s Jaws , Steven Spielberg’s classic, a masterclass in suspense and suggestion. Spoken by Roy Scheider’s police chief Brody, the quote arrives at the exact moment the audience finally sees what’s been stalking them.

9

"I’m the king of the world!"

And speaking of boats… Can you figure out which film this line is from? Kudos if you guessed it: It’s the signature line Leonardo DiCaprio yells from the bow of the Titanic . That’s in the first third of the 1997 movie, while things are still looking sunny and, well, optimistic, for everyone.

10

"I’ll be back"

Threatening, short, and flat. This line comes from 1984’s The Terminator , directed by James Cameron and delivered with robotic calm by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role that defined his career. And yes, he did come back. Many times. Hollywood made sure of it.

11

"It was Beauty killed the Beast"

This is a closing line from a classic. Have you guessed it? It’s from 1933’s King Kong , directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. The film gave audiences groundbreaking special effects, a towering ape with unexpected vulnerability, and a surprisingly heartbreaking ending.

That’s a wrap! How many of the movies could you identify? Did you get a perfect score?

1

The Cardiff Giant

Image: Anton Ivanov

In 1869, workers digging a well in Cardiff, New York, uncovered what appeared to be a 10-foot-tall petrified man. Locals rushed to see the "giant," paying admission to witness history in the soil.

But, as it turned out, it wasn’t ancient at all. A man named George Hull had buried the statue as a prank and made some quick money from the curious crowd.

2

War of the Worlds Broadcast

Image: Michal Balog

This very famous hoax took place on the eve of Halloween 1938. Orson Welles’s radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds aired as if it were breaking news . Many listeners tuning in late thought Martians had really landed in New Jersey.

Some packed up their cars or called the police in panic. Though no invasion occurred, the broadcast became a legend in media history.

3

The Balloon Boy

Image: Ankush Minda

In 2009, Americans watched live TV coverage of a silver balloon drifting across the skies of Colorado , fearing that a six-year-old boy was trapped inside . The story gripped the nation for hours.

When the balloon finally landed empty, police discovered the child hiding safely at home. His parents later admitted it was a publicity stunt gone wrong.

4

The Feejee Mermaid

Image: Nsey Benajah

In 1842, showman P. T. Barnum unveiled a marvel: a preserved "mermaid" supposedly from the South Seas . Crowds lined up to see the half-fish, half-woman curiosity.

The truth was stranger still. It was the upper body of a monkey sewn onto a fish tail and covered in papier-mâché.

5

The Great Moon Hoax

Image: Ganapathy Kumar

6

Readers of The New York Sun in 1835 were astonished by reports claiming that scientists had spotted bat-like people and crystal palaces on the Moon through a powerful new telescope.

The story was pure invention, but circulation went up. By the time the truth came out, the paper’s readership had reportedly increased dramatically.

7

The Crop Circles Craze

Image: Agent J

When perfect circles began appearing overnight in wheat fields , people talked about UFO landings. The shapes seemed too precise to have been made by human hands.

But, in 1991, two Englishmen confessed they’d used boards and ropes to flatten the crops. While this revelation explained many of the formations, the mystery lives on in popular imagination.

8

Alien Autopsy Film

Image: Leo_Visions

In 1995, a grainy black-and-white video surfaced, showing doctors dissecting what seemed to be an alien recovered from the 1947 Roswell crash. The footage spread quickly worldwide.

Years later, the filmmaker admitted that the film was staged, using latex models and fake organs.

9

The Manti Te’o girlfriend hoax

Image: Kaleb Becker

 Notre Dame football star Manti Te’o captured hearts when he revealed that his girlfriend had died of leukemia . Sports fans wept over the tragic love story.

But reporters later learned that the woman never existed. It was an elaborate online catfishing scheme.

10

The Patterson–Gimlin Bigfoot film

Image: Jon Sailer

In 1967, a short film shot in California showed a large, hairy creature striding through the woods . Many viewers thought this was real proof of Bigfoot´s existence.

Decades later, one participant claimed it was a man in a gorilla suit, but that claim failed to convince many people who prefer to believe in the existence of this creature.

11

The Drake’s Plate of Brass

Image: David Dibert

12

In 1936, a shiny brass plate found in California seemed to confirm that explorer Sir Francis Drake had landed there in 1579. Historians called it a priceless relic.

For decades, the plate was displayed proudly, until metallurgical tests in 1977 proved it was modern . It had been made as a practical joke among historians that went too far.

13

Paul Is Dead

Image: Jiamin Huang

The final entry on our list might not be American per se, but it drew much attention on these shores. In 1969, rumors spread that Beatle Paul McCartney had died and been secretly replaced by a double . Fans scoured album covers for "clues" like hidden messages and backward songs.

Paul, very much alive, later joked about it. The bizarre theory became a lasting pop-culture phenomenon.