A bit of trivia: Van Buren was also the only president who spoke English as his second language. He was born into a Dutch-speaking family and learned English only after going to school. Of course, that may be linguistic folklore. Anyone out there know for sure?
A bit of trivia: Van Buren was also the only president who spoke English as his second language. He was born into a Dutch-speaking family and learned English only after going to school. Of course, that may be linguistic folklore. Anyone out there know for sure?
Reputable historians and biographers say yes. But I haven't seen the direct evidence (MVB's testimony on the subject, for example).
The jefferson jackson dinners are now largely called legacy dinners
Another nickname he had was "Old Kinderhook", for his New York birthplace, which is thought to be one source for the modern expression "OK".