Ned,
I get what you're saying. But kids ask strange questions. And guess what, I had several ask me the exact question you're mocking. If you can't answer the stuff like that, then they don't want to hear the biography of the president.
I have to teach all my kids, not just the ones who are little off the wall. So you come prepared to answer everything. I told them about his penchant for "crazy socks" and the fact he was a practical joker.
If you have a problem with that, too bad. At the end of the day, every kid in my class "heard" the message about 41. Because if you find a way to grab their attention with the seemingly trivial, they will remember the important stuff.