On this date in 1860, 11-year-old Grace Bedell wrote Lincoln the fateful letter suggesting that he grow whiskers. Though Lincoln expressed doubts about it, within the month he had grown a beard and he became the first bearded US President. Except for William McKinley, every President through William Howard Taft (1908) sported a beard or mustache. Since 1908 every president has been clean-shaven.

“All the ladies like whiskers and they would tease their husbands to vote for you and then you would be President.” — Grace Bedell, in her letter to Lincoln