- When Taylor was inaugurated in March 1849, he would not take the Oath of Office on a Sunday. The offices of President and Vice President were vacant at the time, so someone had to be the president, but who? David Rice Atchison, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, was sworn in as president. He did not do much, when asked, he said, "I went to bed. There had been two or three busy nights finishing up the work of the Senate, and I slept most of that Sunday."
- Taylor was a second cousin of James Madison, a fourth cousin once removed of Robert E. Lee, and a fourth cousin three times removed of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Taylor's body was recently exhumed because some thought that his death was caused by murder instead of natural causes.
- Taylor spent July 4, 1850, eating cherries and milk at a ceremony at the Washington Monument. He got sick from the heat and died five days later, the second president to die in office.
Taylor, the 12th president of the U.S. didn't vote until he was 62 years old and didn't even vote
in his own election because he was a soldier & moved so often he couldn't establish legal residency until he
retired.
Taylor refused all postage due correspondences. Because of this, he didn't receive notification of his nomination
for president until several days later.
Taylor kept his old warhorse named Whitney on the White House lawn. People would pluck hairs from it for
souvenirs.
- Taylor chewed tobacco and was famous for never missing a
spittoon when he spat.
- Taylor never held a political office before he was president.
Taylor's daughter, Sarah Knox Taylor, married Jefferson Davis.
Taylor said, "I’ll be damned if another daughter of mine will marry into the army!"
- Taylor rode his horse sidesaddle whenever he went into battle.
- Abraham Lincoln gave the eulogy at his funeral.
- He was named after his grandfather.