Teddy Roosevelt is the Only President Confirmed to Have a Tattoo (Sort Of)
According to reports, 30% of Americans as of 2019 have tattoos. According to statistics, 13 presidents should have had body art. Of course, tattoos were unheard of in Washington's era, but surely at least one President had one by then? Okay, sure. only one at least in a limited sense.
Despite legends that both Roosevelts, along with Polk, Eisenhower, and even Andrew Jackson, had tattoos, there is only one known presidential tattoo, and it belonged to Teddy Roosevelt, the most obstinate person to ever hold the position.
You may find countless articles claiming that Roosevelt had his family crest tattooed on his chest by searching for it right now on Google. It appears that's not the case. It first appeared as a joke in a vintage humor publication from 1912. To sell the joke, they added photoshopped images of a tattooed Roosevelt.
Roosevelt did, in fact, have a tattoo of sorts on his chest, but it wasn't on purpose. Ever the man's man, the President reportedly got himself tattooed with gunpowder across his chest when he was 13 after getting into some mischief with some powder. When you fire a weapon and hot gunpowder blows back over your skin, burning its way into you, leaving a permanent reminder, you refer to that as "that."
- 26th President of the United States
Born: Theodore Roosevelt Jr., October 27, 1858New York City, U.S.
Died: January 6, 1919 (aged 60)Oyster Bay, New York, U.S.
