Happy President's Day. Everyone knows that Abraham Lincoln was the first Illinoisian to become President of the United States.

Here are some things I bet you didn't know:

  • Lincoln ran for U.S. Senate twice (1854 and 1858) but lost both times.
  • He established the country’s first income tax. (Bummer)
  • He broke off his engagement to Mary Todd once before they were married.
  • He pushed for women’s right to vote as early as 1836, 84 years before the Nineteenth Amendment was passed.
  • Though he read the Bible often, he never joined an organized church.
  • Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday during the Civil War.
  • His cat ate at the White House dinner table.
  • He was photographed with John Wilkes Booth at his second inauguration. (scary)
  • He was the town’s postmaster when he lived in New Salem, Illinois
  • Lincoln was the first president with a beard

To find out ten more things you didn't know about President Lincoln, Click HERE

More From Rockford's New Country Q98.5