1. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865.
2. Lincoln was born on February 12, 1809, in a one-room log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky.
3. He was largely self-educated, and became a lawyer, a Whig Party politician, and a member of the Illinois State Legislature.
4. Abraham Lincoln married Mary Todd on November 4, 1842, and they had four sons together: Robert, Edward, William, and Thomas.
5. Lincoln is best known for leading the country during the Civil War and working to end slavery through the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteenth Amendment.
6. He was an excellent wrestler in his youth and was only defeated once out of roughly 300 matches.
7. Abraham Lincoln was very tall; he stood at 6 feet, 4 inches (193 centimeters) – making him the tallest U.S. president.
8. He loved animals and had several pets during his time in the White House, including dogs, cats, goats, and even a turkey.
9. The famous Gettysburg Address speech by Lincoln took place on November 19, 1863 in Gettysburg Pennsylvania.
10. Lincoln is well-known for wearing a tall top hat – it was said that he kept important papers tucked inside it!
11. He was an accomplished musician and could play several instruments like violin and the jaw harp.
12. Lincoln was an avid reader who would often stay up late at night reading a variety of books and literature.
13. As a child, he chopped wood with an axe to help support his family and earn money for their needs.
14. The nickname “Honest Abe” came from his early days as a storekeeper when he would walk for miles to return a few cents if he accidentally overcharged a customer.
15. He didn’t grow a beard until 1860, after an 11-year-old girl named Grace Bedell wrote to him suggesting that it would make him more appealing to voters.
16. Abraham Lincoln was the first president to be born outside of the original 13 colonies.
17. He was the first president to have a patent, which was for a device to help boats pass over sandbars and shallow water.
18. Lincoln’s face is on both the U.S. penny and the $5 bill.
19. He had a strong sense of humor and loved telling jokes, funny stories, and riddles.
20. President Lincoln established the United States Secret Service on April 14, 1865 – the day he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.
21. His leadership and speeches are often regarded as some of the finest moments in American history.
22. Before becoming president, Lincoln only had one year of formal education as a child.
23. He is known for keeping his cool in difficult situations and for his thoughtfulness when making decisions.
24. Lincoln was an abolitionist and strongly opposed the spread of slavery into new territories and states in the USA.
25. The famous Lincoln Memorial statue in Washington D.C., which was dedicated in 1922, has 36 columns representing each state in the Union at the time of his death.
26. In addition to being one of America’s most beloved presidents, Abraham Lincoln is often considered a symbol of freedom, equality, and justice throughout history.
These are just some fascinating facts about Abraham Lincoln’s life that kids can enjoy learning about!
