Leading the free world isn't always bicycle rides and soaking in specialized bathtubs. No doubt, many presidents must feel a great sense of relief when passing the torch to their successors.

As stated by James K. Polk, after leaving office,

"I feel exceedingly relieved that I am now free from all public cares. I am sure I shall be a happier man in my retirement than I have been during the four years I have filled the highest office in the gift of my countrymen. "

And in the American President essay about Benjamin Harrison,

"In 1892, the voters handed [Harrison's challenger, Grover] Cleveland the most decisive presidential victory in twenty years. Harrison told his family he felt as though he had been freed from prison."

How do you think you would deal with the pressure? 

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

Did you know? William Howard Taft had an extra-large bathtub installed in the White House during his Presidency (where it remained until a White House renovation). A replica of Taft's tub is on display in the National Archives in Washington D.C.

Click here to see the original order for the bathtub, submitted by the captain of the U.S.S. North Carolina in 1908, and here to see a description in the journal Engineering Review from 1909 (p. 69).

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

How about a little cuteness to wrap up the week? Here's President Clinton with Socks (clearly ready for action).

For more, check out this feature of presidential pets posted by Cute Overload back in February.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

On this day in 1945, President Franklin Roosevelt collapsed and died while sitting for a portrait in Warm Springs, GA. Harry Truman took the oath of office that same day. Seen here is the unfinished painting of FDR, done by Elizabeth Shoumatoff.

Despite his declining heath, Roosevelt's death came as a shock to the world--Churchill later described learning of FDR's death as comparable to having "been struck a physical blow."

Read more from the American President essay.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

An individual's personality and past experiences contribute in a significant way to their approach of public office. (And in the case of the presidency, it's a very public office.) For today's Friday Feature, here's an excerpt from the American President essay about James K. Polk.

The eldest of ten children, James K. Polk lived in a tidy and well-organized household supervised by a stern mother, Jane Knox Polk, who believed in raising her children according to the strict Presbyterian "gospel of duty." But he was not a healthy child. The trip west had taken its toll on him, and James suffered most of his youth from one sickness or another, especially gallstones. This, along with his staunch Calvinist upbringing and education in Presbyterian schools, accounts for James's determined and even unhealthy work ethic. He seemed to work and study as hard as possible to make up for his real or imagined physical defects.

Click through to read more from American President.

Did you know? Although stiff and formal with acquaintances, Benjamin Harrison opened up with his family. During his one term as President, he spent as little time as possible in the office, usually working only until noon. He loved to play with his grandchildren, many of whom had moved into the White House with their parents—Russell Benjamin Harrison, age thirty-six in 1890, and Mary Scott McKee, age thirty-two.

Perhaps most interestingly, the children were allowed to keep as many pets on the grounds as they wanted, including a goat whom they named Old Whiskers. One memorable story told of Harrison chasing the goat down Pennsylvania Avenue with his three grandchildren in tow and top hat in hand while waving his cane. Harrison also tried to escape Washington as often as possible, frequently going on hunting trips in secret. One trip made the national press when he shot a farmer's pig by mistake.

Read more in the Miller Center’s Benjamin Harrison essay.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of Riding the Tiger. Our goal has been to provide readers with scholarly insight and historical context of the 2012 election, the presidency and key policy issues. We also like to indulge in occasional whimsical features. Join us in celebrating RTT’s anniversary and the quote that provides the basis for our namesake by entering our caption contest. (It was Harry S. Truman who said, “I discovered that being President is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep on riding or be swallowed.”) 

Enter your caption of the image to the right in the “Comments” to this post by 5 pm tomorrow (Friday, March 1). The winner(s) will receive a coveted Miller Center t-shirt.

In case you missed it: This week in 1922 Warren G. Harding installed the first audio recording equipment in the White House. Little could he have known how ubiquitous these recordings would become for later presidencies… and how consequential they'd be for administrations such as that of Richard Nixon.

Harding's recordings were limited to about 5 minutes because of technological limitations. What would White House communications be like today if we were limited to 5 minutes of spoken word?

Read more about this week in history and visit the Miller Center's Warren G. Harding Speech exhibit.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

This week, January 30, is the 178th anniversary of the first recorded attempted presidential assassination.

On January 30, 1835, Andrew Jackson was attending a congressional funeral held in the House chamber of the Capitol. As he exited, Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house painter, approached Jackson and shot at him. Incredibly, his gun misfired. Lawrence pulled out a second pistol and, again, a misfire. By this time Jackson was actively fighting back, reportedly clubbing Lawrence with his walking cane. Bystanders joined in, one of whom was Rep. Davy Crockett of Tennessee, and Lawrence was wrestled to the ground and disarmed.

It's generally accepted that Richard Lawrence was a deeply mentally unstable person, believing that Andrew Jackson was withholding funds that would allow Lawrence to take his rightful place as King Richard III of England (who died in 1485). At his trial, the jury deliberated for five minutes before finding him not guilty by reason of insanity. He spent the rest of his life in mental hospitals, and died in the Government Hospital (later renamed St. Elizabeths Hospital) in 1861.

In the 1930s, the Smithsonian Institution reportedly test fired Lawrence's derringer pistols… both of them fired normally on the first try.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

This week's Friday Feature is too good not to repeat: William Howard Taft is seen here riding a water buffalo in the Philippines in 1904. He was appointed to be the first American civilian Governor-General of the Philippines, serving from 1901-1903.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight a whimsical item from presidential history.

Well, for now, we've avoided cascading off the great "Fiscal Cliff" of 2012/2013. Time will tell if the 11th- (13th?) hour deal will have lasting effects on the state of the economy, or of congressional gridlock, in general. (Prospects aren't looking so good.)

There is one thing we know for sure: at least part of the brainpower stopping us from careening off the cliff was fueled by America's favorite late-night food: pizza. Stacks and stacks of delicious lukewarm delivery pizza.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

In the spirit of Nancy Reagan and whoever might be under that beard, best wishes for a joyous and safe holiday.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

As if the holidays weren't hectic enough, the fiscal cliff and the threat of sequestration looms over the White House and Congress (not to mention citizens and government organizations, large and small).

Despite economic woes, the White House in recent history has always shown a warm embrace of the holiday season. Read about holidays at the White House here.

This season, the White House expects more than 90,000 visitors to come and enjoy the decorations and this year's theme, "Joy To All."

In the embedded photo, Betty Ford and Santa lead a procession of guests and clowns to a Christmas party for Diplomatic Corps children. The theme that year was “An Old Fashioned Children’s Christmas”.

Click through for a few more treats through the years.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

Is it holiday time already? Young Ronald Reagan looks surprised by it too in this photo from 1955. He is pictured visiting Santa Claus Land (now Holiday World  Splashin' Safari) in Santa Claus, Indiana. Santa Jim Yellig is on the left, Louis Koch, founder of the park, is on the right.

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.

A president rubs elbows with dignitaries, world leaders, and politicians, yes, but a president often also sometimes comes in contact with celebrities who function far outside the traditional political sphere.

This photo of President Richard Nixon meeting Elvis Presley is the #1 most requested image from the National Archive and Records Administration (surpassing even the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution). The meeting took place in December, 1970, after Nixon received a letter from Presley wherein Presley expressed interest in being named "Federal Agent-at-Large" for the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, wishing to do his part to fight the war on illegal drugs. The five-page letter is hand-written on American Airlines stationary. 

Interestingly, the meeting between Presley and Nixon was kept secret for two full years until the Washington Post broke the story in January 1972. 1972 was, of course, a big year for Nixon for other reasons… 

Stay tuned! Every Friday we'll highlight an interesting item from presidential history.