Trivia

When he saw the concentration camps used in the Holocaust, he rang both Washington DC and London and told them to send photographers to capture what he saw as he did not want people to claim that any of it had been made up or exaggerated.

During second term in office, he signed a bill, adding under God after one nation, at conclusion of Pledge of Allegiance. Pledge concluded with 'one nation'. Now, it concludes with 'one nation under God'.

Despite being a Five-star General, he never fought in combat personally.

In 1956, he received 39% of the black vote during his second presidential campaign. It's the best showing of a Republican nominee for U.S. President since 1936.

Former President of Columbia University.

Smoked 4 packs of cigarettes a day until 1949, and often drank 15 cups of coffee. He was also known to drink heavily. This unhealthy lifestyle undoubtedly contributed to his severe heart problems in later life.

Strongly opposed the use of atomic weapons in 1945.

Had absolutely no political experience when he ran for President of the United States.

6/6/44: He had strategic command of Operation Overlord, the D-Day landings on the coast of Normandy. Although the landings turned out to be a resounding success (and were key to the eventual Allied victory in WW2), Eisenhower wasn't entirely certain they would succeed, and kept in his pocket a communique announcing the failure of the landings and accepting full responsibility.

Visited Soviet Union in 1945, on the invitation from Marshal Georgi Zhukov and the two commanders made a tour of the country together. In 1960 Eisenhower was invited by Nikita Khrushchev but canceled his visit for political reasons.

First President of all 50 American United States, last President of 48 continental United States. He also signed Alaska's and Hawaii's statehood bills, in 1959, during his second term. Only President of 49 States, after Alaska was admitted, in January of 1959 and before Hawaii became the 50th United State, seven months later, in August of 1959.

According to the film's director Garson Kanin, when the movie "The True Glory" won the 1945 Academy Award as 'Best Documentary Feature', the Oscar went to the uncredited producer, General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 1953 and 1954 he provided France with bombers and non-combat personnel to retain their colony of Vietnam. After a few months with no success by the French, he added other aircraft to drop napalm for clearing purposes. CIA files released in 2005 showed that American pilots flew in support of the French during Operation Castor in November 1953, and two US pilots were killed in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

The first US president limited to two terms of office. It was felt that if Eisenhower had been younger and in better health he would have been capable of winning a third term in 1960.

Decorated with the Distinguished Service Medal during WWI.

34th President of the USA, 1953-1961, winning 1952 and 1956 Presidential elections, in landslides.

He is referred to, by name, in Winston Churchill's V-E Day speech, Tuesday, May 8th, 1945.

His grandson, David Eisenhower, is married to Julie Nixon, daughter of former President Richard Nixon. Nixon served as Eisenhower's Vice President from 1953 to 1961.

Tuesday, October 14th, 1969: Pictured on a 6¢ US memorial postage stamp issued in his honor (first birthday anniversary following his death).

Thursday, August 6th, 1970: Pictured on a 6¢ US postage stamp in the Prominent Americans series.

10/13/1990: Pictured on a 25¢ US commemorative postage stamp celebrating the centennial of his birth.

1944, 1959: Time Magazine's "Man of the Year".

1952: Courted controversy during his re-election campaign when, fearing the power of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, he refused to defend his friend (and wartime superior) Secretary of State Gen. George C. Marshall, when McCarthy charged that Marshall was either a Communist or was being controlled by Communist agents.

Had many health problems during his two terms as President, including a severe heart attack in 1955, intestinal problems in 1956, and a minor stroke in 1957. Following another massive heart attack in December 1965, he rarely appeared in public until his final illness in 1969.

The first person to be elected U.S. President after the ratification of the 22nd Amendment (which limits a person's presidential service to two terms).

A moderate Republican, Eisenhower only reluctantly endorsed his Vice President Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential Election, and was deeply frustrated by the nomination of Barry Goldwater in 1964.

The Eisenhower family is of Pennsylvania Dutch descent. His ancestors were Mennonites who fled from the Holy Roman Empire to Switzerland in the 17th century. Hans Nicol Eisenhauer and his family came to Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1741. The family joined the River Brethren, and were pacifists during the nation's wars. They joined some 300 River Brethren in creating a colony in Kansas. After a brief sojourn in Denison, Texas, the family re-settled in Abilene, Kansas in 1892 as his father's job on the M-K-T (Missouri-Kansas-Texas) railroad, transferred him and the family from Denison, Texas to Abilene, Kansas.

In his last will and testament, executed in 1965, he left the bulk of his estate, valued at nearly $3 million in trust for the benefit of his wife Mamie. He also left various sums, totaling $11,500 to four military aides.

He is the last U.S. President, that was born in the nineteenth century and the last to have served in both World War I and World War II.

N. A. S. A. (North Aeronautics & Space Administration) was originally created during his second term, as President of the United States, on Tuesday, July 29th, 1958.

First U.S. President to appear on color television when he was televised at his 40th class reunion at the West Point United States Military Acadamy (June 6, 1955).

According to his Vice President Richard Nixon, Eisenhower later greatly regretted opposing the Anglo-French attempt to topple the Egyptian dictator Colonel Gamal Abdel Nasser during the Suez Crisis. In October 1965 Eisenhower told Republican fundraiser Max M. Fisher that he regretted forcing Israel to evacuate the Sinai peninsula.

He authorized two coup d'etats, firstly in Iran on 15-19 August 1953 and secondly in Guatemala on 18-27 June 1954. Both were illegal under international law.

The USA Eisenhower dollar coin, showing a profile of the general on the obverse, was minted from 1971-1978. Although intended for circulation, the majority were kept by collectors, rather than used in commerce.

Despite being a Republican president, many historians and political analysts have noted that he is far more popular among Democrats and left-leaning people than conservatives.

In March 1960 he ordered the CIA to devise the Bay of Pigs invasion, which was left to his successor John F. Kennedy to carry out. Critics maintained that Eisenhower would have provided air support for the invasion, as he did during the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état. The original invasion plan required both aerial and naval support, but Kennedy felt this would make the US involvement too obvious.

Ordered the CIA to "eliminate" Patrice Lumumba, the pro-Soviet first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Lumumba was assassinated on 17 January 1961, three days before Eisenhower left office.

Called The Big Country (1958) the best western ever made, although it was intended as a left-wing parable for the Cold War and its star Gregory Peck was a major opponent of Eisenhower's policies.

Put pressure on Winston Churchill to overthrow the elected government of British Guiana (now Guyana) in a surprise military coup on 9 October 1953 because he feared its left-wing Prime Minister Cheddi Jagan would lead the British colony into an alliance with the Soviet Union.

During the Syrian Crisis of 1957 he approved a CIA-MI6 plan to stage fake border incidents as an excuse for an invasion by Syria's pro-western neighbors.

On October 14, 1960 he became the first US President to celebrate his 70th birthday in office. Later on February 6, 1981 Ronald Reagan celebrated his 70th Birthday in office 17 days after his inauguration. Donald Trump was already 70 when he became US President on January 20, 2017.

On March 28, 1969 He was the most recent president to die without becoming the oldest living President when he died aged 78 years, 165 days.

His alliance with Spain was heavily criticized. Many people saw the Spanish dictator General Francisco Franco as a fascist who had actively supported Nazi Germany during World War II. They further charged that it was only financial aid from the United States that enabled Franco to remain in power and pursue controversial economic policies. It has been suggested that without US money Franco's regime would have fallen during the 1950s as the Spanish people would have risen against him.

Inducted into the Texas Transportation Hall of Honor in 2016.

Eisenhower himself thought he could be impeached over the 1960 U-2 incident.

He initially supported the Morgenthau Plan to permanently deindustrialise Germany after World War II. The plan was slowly abandoned from 1947 onwards as it would have resulted in genocide.

He fully supported the escalation of the Vietnam War in 1965.

One of the motives behind the Interstate Highway System was that Eisenhower was impressed by Adolf Hitler's autobahn system.

When opera singer Marian Anderson sang the "Star Spangled Banner" at his inauguration in 1957, she became the first African-American woman perform at such an event.

His favorite TV show was "Green Acres".