12. Inside the Booth

The prevailing notion about John Wilkes Booth, President Lincoln's assassin, is that he conspired with other no-names in the assassination but was mainly driven by insanity. However, accounts suggest that he might have been part of a bigger scheme involving the Confederate commander-in-chief, Jefferson Davis. Some sources even involve the guilt of high-ranking Canadian officials, which suggest that it might not have been such a deranged scheme after all (unless you think all Canadians are deranged).

The ironic part it that the assassination actually did the opposite of what Booth had intended, which was to obliterate Lincoln's memory. During his presidency, Lincoln was a controversial figure with many opponents and enemies, but the President's death raised him to pseudo-sainthood, outshining the darker details of Lincoln's life.

11. He Was A Gentle Giant

Abraham Lincoln stands as the yardstick by which all presidents are measured; which is a little unfair for the 5' 4" James Madison. Lincoln was a unique physical specimen, a matchless public speaker, superior statesman, and is revered as the man who ended slavery (until China set up sweatshops, of course.)

Still, history has a funny way of getting twisted up. Abraham was all these things and many more, including a trifle unhinged. During his first public speech, a fight between a supporter and an anti-Lincoln attendee broke out. Lincoln paused mid-speech to tend to a calm manner. Actually, he chucked the non-supporter twelve feet -- which meant that either Lincoln was super-human or the heckler no bigger than James Madison. Lincoln went on to win the election bid, proving that politics and daytime talk shows are basically one and the same.

10. The Occult Office

The man who famously said "When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad... that's my religion" actually might have secretly enlisted the services of the occult.

According to certain accounts, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln held seances in the White House for their deceased children. Lincoln was also advised by a popular medium to implement the Emancipation Proclamation in order to cement his place in history. More eerily, on multiple occasions Lincoln had visions foreshadowing his death before the end of his second term...