7. Two Grizzly Bear Cubs Out-Grew Their Stay At The White House (Thomas Jefferson)
As the third President of the United States (1801-1809) and principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was a key architect in shaping the so-called oldest democracy in the world. Another thing for which he is less famous, however, is keeping two grizzly bear cubs at the White House after receiving them as gifts from the explorers who discovered them, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Despite having described the cubs as ""perfectly gentle" and having commented on their love of "Indian bread", the bears quickly outgrew their stay in cages on the White House lawn and Jefferson was forced to send them off to a museum in Philadelphia - where one attempted to kill the owner and both were subsequently shot dead. Seemingly bears don't have a place at the White House - who knew?