James Madison was both the shortest and the lightest president of the United States. He was only 5'4" (about 162 cm) tall, and weighed about 100 pounds (about 45 kg). He was known to be generally frail in appearance, and suffered from chronic arthritis and frostbite to the nose. In contrast, the tallest president, Abraham Lincoln, was 6'4" (193 cm), and the heaviest president, William Taft, weighed more than 300 pounds (more than 136 kg).
More facts about US Presidents:
- The 29th US President — Warren G. Harding — had the biggest feet of any US President. He wore size 14 shoes (about a 48 in European sizing).
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only US President to have used a wheelchair. He was paralyzed from polio.
- US President John Tyler — number 10 — had the most kids — 15.
- Four presidents have been assassinated in office: Abraham Lincoln, James Garfield, William McKinley, and John F. Kennedy. Six others have survived assassination attempts: Andrew Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, and Ronald Reagan.