The American sphinx

Thomas Jefferson was a man of many talents beyond politics. A skilled architect, he designed Monticello and helped shape the University of Virginia. As an inventor, he created a swivel chair, improved the polygraph machine, and designed a special plow.

He had a deep curiosity about science, collecting fossils and even instructing Lewis and Clark to search for mastodon remains. Fluent in multiple languages, including French, Latin, and Italian, Jefferson was also an avid reader who sold his personal library of 6,487 books to restock the Library of Congress after the British burned the U.S. Capitol in 1814.

Despite his intelligence, he struggled with finances and died deeply in debt. He was shy and disliked public speaking, delivering only two speeches as president. In an unusual tribute, supporters once gifted him a 1,235-pound “Mammoth Cheese” to symbolize American prosperity. His views on religion were unconventional; he created the Jefferson Bible, removing all references to miracles and keeping only Jesus’ moral teachings. Perhaps most astonishingly, he and John Adams both died on July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.