BEYOND THE MYTH

Lincoln Was a Licensed Bartender? Check 10 Fun Facts About Abe!

Published on August 25, 2024

Image: Caleb Fisher

Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s most revered presidents, is a man whose sagacious leadership steered the country during its most tumultuous periods. But beyond the larger-than-life figure lies a man of intriguing depth. Join us to learn 10 curious facts about Honest Abe that you probably didn’t know!

Tallest President Ever

Image: Siora Photography

Abraham Lincoln holds the distinction of being the tallest president in American history, standing at a towering height of 6 feet 4 inches. His imposing stature often commanded attention, both in the political arena and among his peers. Despite his remarkable height, Lincoln's presence was characterized by a gentle demeanor and humble disposition.

Wrestling Champ

Image: Provincial Archives of Alberta

Lincoln wasn't just a formidable politician; he was also an accomplished wrestler. Allegedly, early in his career, he defeated a local bully in a wrestling match, becoming the town hero. In any case, his strength and skill in the ring earned him a reputation as a formidable opponent. Amassing 300 victories over 12 years, he was only defeated once, by fellow soldier Lorenzo Dow Thompson during the Black Hawk War of 1832.

Unexpected Pitch

Image: Pawel Czerwinski

Contrary to popular belief, Lincoln's voice didn't match his towering stature. Instead of a deep, booming voice, he spoke in a surprisingly high-pitched tone. The somewhat unexpected tone of his voice, however, didn’t take away from his powerful speeches, and any perceived awkwardness was soon overshadowed by his wisdom and ideas.

Licensed Bartender

Image: Bjarne Vijfvinkel

Before he entered politics, Lincoln co-owned a general store and drinking establishment called Berry and Lincoln in New Salem, Illinois. It was here that he obtained a license to sell liquor, making him a licensed bartender. However, the joint venture soon ran into debt, and Lincoln wasn’t able to fully recover economically until he became a Congressman.

Stovepipe Hat Secrets

Image: National Library of Ireland on The Commons

Lincoln's iconic stovepipe hat wasn't just a fashion statement; it served as a convenient storage space for his notes and documents. He would tuck memos or important notes inside his hat, utilizing its ample space to keep his thoughts organized while working or reading. This quirky habit - one of many, actually - illustrates Lincoln's pragmatic personality and wit.

Poetry Aficionado

Image: Clark Young

Despite his rugged appearance, Lincoln had a soft spot for poetry. As a teenager, he often wrote short stanzas and satirical verses on the flyleaves of books, and later in life, he worked on longer poems, some of which he published or sent in letters to close friends. One of his longer works, My Childhood-Home I See Again, dealt with his feelings of melancholy and yearning upon visiting his childhood home.

Patent Holder

Image: Sven Mieke

Lincoln was far more than just a skilled politician, he often liked to tinker with things, making up solutions to various problems. Proof of this is that, in 1849, while serving in Congress, he was granted a patent for a device that could lift boats over shallow waters or other obstructions in a river. Though he never saw it in action, his invention demonstrated his innovative spirit.

Animal Lover

Image: Zeke Tucker

Lincoln adored cats and was often seen playing with his cats Tabby and Dixie in the White House. In fact, he was quite a cat person, and during the war, he rescued motherless kittens every time he could. His fondness for animals, in general, was well known, and he let his sons keep as many pets as they wished, resulting in quite a menagerie living within the White House premises, including rabbits, turkeys, horses, and two beloved goats called Nanny and Nanko.

Fashion Innovator

Image: Josh Sorenson

Lincoln's iconic facial hair wasn't always a part of his look. He allegedly grew it at the suggestion of Grace Bedell of Westfield, New York, an 11-year-old girl who wrote to him, claiming it would improve his appearance because "his face was so thin" and it would earn him more votes. While it is unknown whether she actually influenced his decision to grow a beard, he began to grow his distinctive beard soon afterward.

Laid-Back Father

Image: Metin Ozer

Despite the immense pressures of leading a nation during a tumultuous time, Lincoln remained remarkably laid-back in his approach to fatherhood. He enjoyed spending time with his children, often engaging in playful activities and games with them. Julia Taft Bayne - a close friend of the Lincoln family - recalled in her memoirs that one time, both Lincoln’s sons barged into his office and asked him to pardon a doll accused of spying. Their father willingly played along, and then sighed to his secretary, "And I only wish they were all that easy."

Prophetic hits

10 times fiction turned into fact: predictions that became reality

Published on August 25, 2024

Image: Drew Beamer

No one can know what the future holds, but there’s no harm in trying to guess! Throughout history, some people have had a knack for making predictions that, no matter how impossible they seemed at the time, turned out to be true. From robotic assistants to the tragedy of the Titanic, there’s no shortage of eerie predictions that became reality. Here, we’ve gathered 10 of the craziest for your enjoyment!

When Mark Twain predicted his own death

Image: Justin Wolff

Twain famously predicted his own death. He stated that he would die with Halley’s Comet, which was visible in the sky in 1910. He said, "I came in with Halley’s Comet in 1835. It is coming again next year, and I expect to go out with it." Remarkably, Twain passed away on April 21, 1910, just one day after Halley’s Comet made its closest approach to Earth, making his death one of the most uncanny and accurate personal predictions in history.

When Tesla predicted smartphones

Image: Paula Lavalle

Nikola Tesla envisioned a wireless, global communication system that would allow people to transmit voice, images, and information anywhere in the world. In a 1926 interview, he speculated about the future of mobile technology, saying, "When wireless is fully applied, the Earth will be converted into a huge brain, capable of solving the problems of humanity." This prediction is strikingly close to modern smartphones, though the "huge brain" part is a bit more questionable.

When Nostradamus nailed the year of the Great Fire of London

Image: Chris Karidis

Nostradamus’s quatrains are often cited as predictions of major events, and one of his verses is believed to foresee the Great Fire of London in 1666. The quatrain reads: "The blood of the just will be demanded of London, burnt by fire in the year ‘66." In fact, the historically infamous Great Fire of London did break out in 1666, devastating much of the city. Though Nostradamus' cryptic style leaves much room for interpretation, this one is as accurate as predictions can get!

When Jules Verne predicted the Moon landing

Image: Brian McGowan

Jules Verne’s 19th-century novel From the Earth to the Moon imagined a moon landing, complete with remarkable details such as launching from Florida and returning via splashdown in the ocean. His fictional spacecraft even bore a resemblance to the Apollo command module. To make this even more impressive, in Verne’s time, the idea of actually reaching the Moon was as alien and impossible as it gets! Space travel was purely the stuff of fantasy, and no one had yet conceived of the technology needed to make it a reality.

When a novel foretold the sinking of the Titanic

Image: Danting Zhu

In Morgan Robertson’s 1898 novella Futility, a ship called the Titan strikes an iceberg and sinks—all of this obviously sounds eerily familiar, but surprisingly it was written 14 years before the actual Titanic disaster! The many similarities are striking: both ships were deemed "unsinkable" and carried insufficient lifeboats.

When H.G. Wells imagined the Atomic Bomb

Image: Dan Meyers

In his 1914 novel The World Set Free, H.G. Wells described a future with "atomic bombs" many decades before their invention. His fictional weapons used radioactive decay to unleash destructive power, in an eerily similar fashion to nuclear weapons. Unsurprisingly, when the first atomic bomb was detonated in 1945, physicists referenced Wells’ work, acknowledging its role in sparking public imagination about the potential and dangers of atomic energy.

When 19th-century sci-fi predicted credit cards

Image: Two Paddles Axe and Leatherwork

Edward Bellamy’s 1888 novel Looking Backward envisioned a utopian future in which citizens used a card to access funds from a central bank—a concept that closely resembles modern credit or debit cards, which didn’t emerge until the mid-20th century. While Bellamy’s vision was rooted in fiction, it’s clear he had a very good understanding of how emerging economic trends could shape the distant future.

When Mark Twain predicted the Internet

Image: Leon Seibert

Mark Twain certainly had a knack for predicting the future. Not content with foreseeing the date of his own death, he also described a global "telectroscope" network that connected people instantly across the world—a concept we now easily recognize as an early imagining of the internet.

When a silent film predicted video calls

Image: Chris Montgomery

The silent 1927 film Metropolis featured a video phone, many years before such technology was even considered possible. This futuristic device envisioned real-time, face-to-face communication, remarkably similar to how video calls work today. The film captured early 20th-century optimism about technological progress, highlighting how fiction can inspire real-world innovation.

When Asimov predicted AI

Image: Possessed Photography

In Asimov’s I, Robot (1950), he envisioned a world where robots worked alongside humans, governed by ethical guidelines such as the famous "Three Laws of Robotics." While we aren’t quite there yet, the issues and concepts Asimov introduced continue to resonate today. His work not only anticipated the potential of artificial intelligence but also sparked ongoing ethical debates about AI development and the complexities of integrating advanced technology into society.