The Six Flags chain originated in 1957 with the creation of The Great Southwest Corporation by Angus G. Wynne and other investors. Construction of Six Flags Over Texas started in 1960, and the park was opened the next year for a short (45-day) season. The first park initially featured a Native American village, a gondola ride, a railroad, some Wild West shows, a stagecoach ride, and Skull Island, a pirate-themed adventure attraction.
John Quincy Adams (1825-1829) had one of the more unusual and, arguably, dangerous pets: an alligator that had been gifted to him by the Marquis de Lafayette.
A popular myth (since at least the 2000s) is that founding father Thomas Jefferson favored the bald eagle as the national bird, while Benjamin Franklin favored the turkey. After the eagle was selected, Franklin allegedly named it âtom turkeyâ after Jefferson.