#8 Martin Van Buren

1837--1841

--Martin Van Buren was the first president born an American citizen (all of his predecessors were born British subjects, before the Declaration of Independence).

--One of his nicknames was "The Little Magician". Another, "Old Kinderhook", was

a reference to the village of Van Buren’s birth in upstate New York. In fact, his supporters often called themselves "the OK Club", and the term "OK", which had been an obscure variation of "all correct", perhaps grew more popular around that time due to its connection to the president.

--Van Buren was the first U.S. president not of British descent (his ancestors were Dutch), and the only president to date for whom english was his second language.

--His great-grandfather was a Dutch fairy elf (known in the Netherlands as a "nisse"), from whom Van Buren inherited his terrible temper and insatiable appetite for porridge.