Hail to the Chiefs

Think of it as the Mount Rushmore of holidays – sort of. President’s Day was designed as a tidy way to commemorate the February birthdays of two of our greatest leaders: George Washington (born on the 22nd) and Abraham Lincoln (the 12th). So while you’re busy hitting all the sales that happen on the third Monday in February (in 2008, it’s Feb. 21st), take a moment to ponder some lesser-known aspects of George and Abe...

• Washington was the only President inaugurated in 2 cities - New York and Philadelphia
• Washington did his own bookkeeping, recording every penny. His ledgers still exist today.
• Washington was a huge ice cream lover, with special "ice-boxes" kept full for his family and guests. They ordered thousands of gallons over the years.
• Washington once suffered from smallpox, which left his face scarred.
• Lincoln was the only president to receive a patent (for a device for lifting boats over shoals).
• Lincoln was the first president to be photographed at his inauguration. Eerily enough, his assassin, John Wilkes Booth can be seen in the picture standing close to him.
• Abe Lincoln's brother, half-brothers, and brothers-in-law fought in the Confederate Army.
• Lincoln's favorite sport was wrestling.