Naked POTUS, number 11: James K. Polk

"Even the President of the United States must sometimes have to stand naked" - BOB DYLAN

Willy to the wind, it is the eleventh President of the United States, James K. Polk (1795-1849). Here are the pertinent details:

JAMES K. POLK

Born 2nd November 1795, Pineville, North Carolina

Died 15th June 1849, Nashville, Tennessee

Presidential Term 4th March 1845 - 4th March 1849

The key event of the Polk Presidency was the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. The American victory in this conflict meant that Polk presided over the largest increase in the size of United States territorial ownership of any of the American Presidents before or since. He is widely considered to be the most successful single-term President.

Three States were admitted to the Union during the Polk administration: Texas (1845), Iowa (1846) and Wisconsin (1848). Polk had campaigned on a platform that was pro-annexation of Texas at the 1844 election, where it was one of the biggest issues. By the end of his term, the United States was comprised of 30 members.

Due to a sickly childhood, mostly caused by gallstones, Polk didn't begin formal education until he was 18 years old. Ill health caught up with him in the months following the end of his Presidency, too. Just over three months later he was dead from cholera.

The initial in his name? Stood for "Knox".

Polk is one of only two US Presidents to share a birthday with a fellow incumbent of the Oval Office: both he and Warren G. Harding, the 29th President, were born on 2nd November.

N.B. Some parts of the above image have been redacted by the CIA for reasons of national security. An unexpurgated version of all the naked Presidents will be made available at the end of the project.