James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America, was born on this day in 1751. It is interesting to note that he was the U.S. president at the time when Napoleon Bonaparte was the Emperor of the French. Namely, Madison was elected president in 1808, and began performing his duties in 1809.
President Madison managed to stay at the head of the USA longer than Napoleon did at the head of France. Namely, Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815, while Madison’s term lasted until 1817. At the time when Madison’s term ran out, Napoleon was already a prisoner on the island of Saint Helena.
James Madison was 163 centimeters tall, making him one of the shortest U.S. presidents in history (the tallest were Abraham Lincoln and Lyndon B. Johnson at 193 centimeters). President Madison’s portrait is found on $ 5,000 bills. The Madison County from the famous novel and movie The Bridges of Madison County was named after him, as was Madison Square Garden in New York.
