Who, Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, will make American history by becoming the 47th president? from the United States? In a few hours, we will know the results of the vote. In recent months, the American election has seen many questions emerge in the media space. Some specialists have, for example, estimated that the 78-year-old businessman could take power even if he loses. Other experts looked at how Gen Z intended to “undo” their parents’ vote. Among the other analyses, some focused on the way in which the global star Taylor Swift could defeat Donald Trump thanks to her undeniable influence among the youngest citizens. On November 1, the Atlas Obscura website shared with its readers its own thoughts on the upcoming election and presidential legacy in this North American country, as well as lesser-known aspects of their public and private lives. The opportunity for the website to remember seven presidential stories that are still largely unknown, because they are rarely taught in history classes.
The most beautiful places in the United States
The six presidential desks: almost as famous as their owners
Since its construction in 1909, the Oval Office has housed six presidential offices. The first, the Roosevelt Desk, was used by several leaders until 1929… and it even survived a fire! It was replaced by the Hoover Desk. The office of President HW Bush has the distinction of holding the record for the shortest stay, as it lasted only one term. Lyndon B. Johnson’s desk, on the other hand, was a personal piece of furniture that the politician already used in the Senate and as vice president. The most iconic is the Resolute Desk, built from a stranded ship in the Arctic and which has a “modesty panel” to conceal the legs of Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was in a wheelchair.
Sea slugs and a fish in tribute to Barack Obama
After discovering three new species of sea slugs around the world, scientists have named one Placida Barackobamai in honor of former US President Barack Obama. This species, with a bright yellow body and black cerata (spiky appendages), refers to the former leader’s commitment to the preservation of the oceans, particularly in Hawaii. There is also a fish, the Tosanoides obamawhich bears his name. A decision taken to reward its efforts in marine conservation.
Rutherford B. Hayes: a president more famous in Paraguay… than in the United States!
The 19th President of the United States, Rutherford B. Hayes, is little known in his own country, even though he is revered in Paraguay! This Latin American country even has a town, Villa Hayes, that was named in his honor, as well as a statue of him. He owes this adoration to his role in resolving a border conflict between Argentina and Paraguay in 1878, which resulted in the attribution of a region to the latter.
The disappearance of Eleanor Roosevelt for ten days
In August 1943, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt disappeared into thin air for ten days. She reappeared during a trip to the island of Guadalcanal, nicknamed “the island of death”. She visited several other islands, met soldiers and gave speeches, asserting her bold character and independence, spending five weeks in war zones in the Pacific. This trip was considered unconventional, even by those around him.
The day Lyndon B. Johnson got stuck in an elevator!
In February 1968, Lyndon B. Johnson found himself trapped in an elevator at the Pentagon with twelve others, including his Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara. For around ten minutes, the situation generated a wave of panic and paranoia among the passengers, who suspected a coup d’état. It eventually turned out that the incident was due to an elevator overload, and not an attempt to overthrow the government.
Presidential libraries: why they exist
The first presidential library was established in 1939 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who turned over his personal archives to the government immediately after his term in office. This decision inspired the creation of a system that incentivizes every president to do the same, with the construction of museums and libraries aimed at preserving and sharing each leader’s presidential legacy. These libraries contain archives and memorable objects, including memorabilia from former presidents, but also a wooden bench with the image of Hillary Clinton and the crates that contained Ling-Ling (1969-1992) and Hsing-Hsing (1970-1999), giant pandas sent by the Chinese to Richard Nixon in 1972.
William McKinley’s secret autopsy report
After the assassination of William McKinley in 1901, a top secret autopsy report was conducted in an attempt to determine the exact cause of his death. Although rumors circulated, including possible bullet poisoning, the autopsy revealed that he died of pancreatic necrosis. This report, which remained secret for more than a century, was sold in 2024 to the University at Buffalo, which helped shed light on this historic tragedy.
