American history has its share of legends and odd beliefs, not all of which are entirely true.

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The United States standard railroad gauge derives from the original specification for an Imperial Roman war chariot. When John Hancock affixed his famously large signature to the Declaration of Independence, he proclaimed, "There, I guess King George will be able to read that!" Essay outlines the fates of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. George Washington told of an angel who revealed a prophetic vision of America to him at Valley Forge. John Hanson was the first President of the United States of America. The White House obtained its name because it was repainted white after the British burned it in 1814.* Washington, D.C., has no 'J' Street because city designer Pierre L'Enfant bore a grudge against Chief Justice John Jay. A death curse threatens U.S. Presidents elected in years evenly divisible by twenty. Federal law allows only the Texas state flag to be flown at the same height as the U.S. national flag. A clause in the document annexing Texas to the United States allowed for Texas be divided into five different states. David Rice Atchison served as President of the United States for one day in 1849. A black woman served as the model for the Statue of Liberty. The middle name of President Harry Truman was just the letter 'S.' During wartime, the seal of the President of the United States is modified so that the eagle's head faces the opposite direction. A number of amazing coincidences can be found between the assassinations of Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. Ulysses S. Grant once handed out an exploding cigar that paid off decades later. John F. Kennedy triggered a precipitous decline in the sales of men's hats by appearing hatless at his 1961 inauguration. President Richard M. Nixon used the wrong "Wilson desk" in the White House. During a photo opportunity at a 1988 grocers' convention, President Bush was "amazed" at encountering supermarket scanners for the first time. The 1968 Miss America pageant spawned a decade of bra-burning by feminists as a means of calling attention to their cause. The only real person ever depicted on a PEZ candy dispenser was Betsy Ross. The U.S. Constitution requires presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be from different states. Article details 'four things you didn't know' about Martin Luther King, Jr.

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