1

1789 and 1792: George Washington

According to lore, Founding Father John Adams jealously complained that the only reason George Washington was "chosen for everything" was because "he was taller than anyone else in the room." Whatever the reasons, Washington was the only president to be unanimously elected by the Electoral College in both 1789 and 1792. In the 1792 election, the so-called "Father of His Country", though reluctant to serve a second term, was re-elected when no one dared run against him.

2

1804: Thomas Jefferson

When Alexander Hamilton, former Secretary of the Treasury, and sitting Vice President Aaron Burr challenged each other to a duel, it set off a series of events that dramatically influenced the 1804 presidential election. Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson's main political rival, was killed by Burr, who consequently destroyed his own political career. A few months later, Burr wasn’t even on the ticket, and Jefferson was overwhelmingly re-elected .

3

1824: John Quincy Adams

The election of 1824 was the first decided by the House of Representatives, as no candidate secured a clear majority in the Electoral College. The 12th Amendment to the Constitution provides that if no candidate receives a clear majority of electoral votes, it is up to the House to choose the president, and each state receives one vote. Andrew Jackson had won the popular vote and the most electoral votes, but John Quincy Adams was ultimately elected president.

4

1829: Andrew Jackson

According to the chronicles of the time, Andrew Jackson’s inauguration party in March 1829 was so wild that he had to sneak out of the White House and spend the night at a hotel. In fact, it took a whole week to scrub and clean the Executive Mansion after the party.

But perhaps there was another reason for Jackson to leave. Rachel Donelson Robards Jackson, his wife, died just a few months before she would have become first lady. A vicious campaign had smeared her as a bigamist, and her heart is said to have given out from the stress. Throughout his presidency, Jackson claimed he felt very lonely. Perhaps that is why he often opened up the White House to the public.

5

1872: Ulysses S. Grant

In the final phase of the 1872 election, presidential incumbent Ulysses S. Grant technically ran against a corpse. His opponent, Horace Greeley, candidate for both the Democrats and the Liberal Republicans, died on November 29, 1872, after the general election but before the Electoral College officially cast its votes. After Greeley's death, the electoral votes he had received—a rather significant number—were distributed among other candidates. Ultimately, the election resulted in Grant winning.

6

1876 and 1880: Rutherford B Hayes & James A. Garfield

In the 1876 elections, no candidate won a majority of the votes, so Rutherford B Hayes made a deal to become president. In exchange for the Democratic Party not disputing his election victory, Hayes agreed to withdraw the remaining federal troops from the South, which effectively ended the Reconstruction era after the Civil War.

In 1880, when Hayes chose not to run for reelection, the Republicans had the longest convention in party history—6 days—which resulted in the nomination surprisingly going to James A. Garfield, a "dark horse" who later won in the general election. Unfortunately, Garfield was assassinated a year into his term at age 49.

7

1884 and 1892: Grover Cleveland

In 1884, when Grover Cleveland was elected president, phrenology , a pseudoscience that claimed a person's character and abilities could be determined by the size of their skull, was gaining cultural traction. Leaflets were distributed in New York as "scientific proof" that Cleveland was smarter than his opponent.

Four years later, he lost re-election despite winning the popular vote. But in 1892, Cleveland became the first president to win a second non-consecutive term, ushering in the first Democratic Trifecta since the Civil War.

8

1912: Teddy Roosevelt

In the 1908 election, after pledging not to seek a third term, Theodore Roosevelt supported his then good friend William Howard Taft, the only person to be both President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. But in 1912, he decided to run for a third time as a third-party candidate.

On October 14, Teddy Roosevelt gave a 50-page speech in Milwaukee, where he was the victim of an assassination attempt. According to various accounts, he went on to speak for almost an hour and a half with a bullet lodged into his chest before he was rushed to the hospital. "It takes more than a bullet to kill a Bull Moose," Teddy said to the crowd. He eventually lost the race to Democrat Woodrow Wilson.

9

1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944: Franklin D. Roosevelt

FDR was the first Democrat since Franklin Pierce in 1852 to win a majority in both the popular vote and the Electoral College. Four years later, in 1936, in part due to the support of the New Deal, African-Americans shifted their majority for the first time ever, from the party of Lincoln to the party of FDR, giving him the win.

In 1940, the Republican Party chose Wendell Wilkey, a New York businessman and former FDR delegate, to oppose Roosevelt, who was running for the third time. Yet, he was walloped. In 1944, pitching steady leadership in the face of World War II, Roosevelt won an unprecedented fourth term. Unfortunately, he died just 3 months into it at age 63 from a stroke.

10

1952: Dwight Eisenhower

Did you know one of Dwight Eisenhower's 1952 ads was produced by the Walt Disney Company? Roy Disney—Walt's brother—created a highly effective, minute-long, animated political commercial known as "Ike for President" or "We'll Take Ike." In fact, it was the first animated presidential campaign ad in U.S. history.

​​The ad featured an upbeat jingle, an animated Uncle Sam, and a Republican elephant leading a parade of citizens. The commercial was widely considered a success and was credited with softening Eisenhower's image, who ended up winning that year’s bid against Democratic opponent Adlai Stevenson.

1

Measuring

This is a difference most Americans are aware of: most countries use the metric system rather than U.S. customary units, and most use Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. Countries such as the UK and Canada still use some imperial units in everyday life, but they mainly use the metric system. Another measure that confuses foreigners is the particular way ingredients are measured in American recipes, which often use cups, tablespoons, and teaspoons rather than measurements by weight.

Fun fact: The only other countries that use the Imperial system officially are Liberia and Myanmar.

2

Sales tax

Do you find having to calculate sales taxes annoying? That’s a unique American experience. In the majority of the world, the price you see is the price you pay , because it has the sales tax already added.

Why is it different in America? Sales taxes vary across states , so retailers find it easier to showcase the base price and then calculate the total at checkout.

3

Cutlery use

Many Americans abroad are surprised by the realization that not everyone uses a knife and fork in the same way they do . In fact, no one else does. While most Americans have learned the American style —also called the zig-zag or fork switching method— that involves using the fork in the left hand for cutting and then changing it to the right to pick up the food, European and Latin American countries don’t do this . It might seem like a small difference, but it completely changes the way you eat.

4

Iced drinks

Do other countries not have ice? They do, but they don’t necessarily assume everyone will want it. While serving water and other beverages with ice is customary in America, in many other countries, you need to request it —even during the hottest of summers.

But even if you get ice, many times you will need to specify the amount : the same drink that would be filled with ice cubes in America might come to you with just two or three cubes elsewhere.

5

Date formatting

The U.S. is not completely alone on this one, but there’s a difference big enough to be worth mentioning. The standardized way of recording the date in America is month-day-year , a convention also followed by some Caribbean and Asian countries. But in the rest of the Western world, the conventional format is day-month-year , which can lead to confusion for Americans. In most Asian countries , the most commonly used format is year-month-day .

6

The word ‘American’

In the English language, ‘American’ is the only way to refer to people with U.S. citizenship . Other words, such as ‘Usian’ or ‘Unitedstatian’ have been proposed, but never stuck. This is why many Americans are surprised when other countries —Latin American countries in particular— use ‘American’ for anyone in the American continent , or continents, another big difference. In most European and Latin American countries, there is a different word for U.S. citizens, such as the Spanish ‘estadounidense’ or the Portuguese ‘estadunidense’ .

7

Moving out at 18 years old

This one is not so black and white, but more like a general tendency. Compared with most of Europe, Latin America, and Asia, Americans give serious consideration to the possibility of moving out after high school. Not everyone does, and not everyone can afford it, but it's fairly common.

In other countries, young adults generally move out if their job or education requires it , but they tend to stay at home a few more years if they can.

8

Driving a car as a teenager

America is quite car-centric , especially if you live outside of the big cities. While not everyone can afford to have a personal car —even a second-hand one—, it is common for 16 and 17-year-olds to legally drive their parents’ car, or save for their own.

In the rest of the world, the chances of high schoolers driving themselves to school are much lower, as most countries don’t allow underage kids to get a driving license .

9

Solo cups

Do plastic cups exist outside of the U.S.? They do, but they are not as iconic or as widely used as Solo cups, introduced in the 1970s as a disposable but sturdy cup for parties and events. Many foreigners visiting America are surprised when they realize that solo cups are a real thing , and not something that just happens in movies.

10

Filing taxes

Taxes in the U.S. are not that different from taxes in other countries, except for how they are filed . During tax filing season, thousands of Americans direct their efforts to ensure they have properly reported their income and that their return will match the IRS’s data.

In other parts of the world, however, the one responsible for calculating and filing taxes is the government , while citizens merely corroborate that everything is in order.

1

The Cardiff Giant

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

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

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

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

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.

6

The Crop Circles Craze

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.

7

Alien Autopsy Film

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.

8

The Manti Te’o girlfriend hoax

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.

9

The Patterson–Gimlin Bigfoot film

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.

10

The Drake’s Plate of Brass

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.

11

Paul Is Dead

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.