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Harry Truman Threatens Music Critic: December 6, 1950
Harry Truman didn't merely meet or know a musician—he sired one. Truman's only child, Margaret, embarked on a singing career in her mid-twenties, while her father was riding high in office. Margaret found a moderate amount of success in her chosen field, working with greats such as Dr. Karl Krueger, Eugene Ormandy, and Helen Traubel. She even made it to Carnegie Hall in 1949 (of course, being the president's daughter probably didn't hurt).

Miss Truman was not without her critics, however: A performance in December 1950 prompted the Washington Post's Paul Hume to write that while Margaret was "extremely attractive," she "cannot sing very well. She is flat a good deal of the time." This review supremely irritated Daddy Truman, who fired off an angry reply in which the president warned Hume he'd need "a new nose," "plenty of beefsteak," and "perhaps a supporter below" if they ever met face to face. Truman was widely criticized for his less-than-presidential correspondence, but what do you expect from the guy who nuked Japan twice? Margaret Truman eventually gave up singing in favor of writing. Her 1980 title, "Murder in the White House," eventually became the Wesley Snipes film Murder at 1600.

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Elvis Brings Nixon a Gun: December 20, 1971
The most infamous of all presidential pop culture summits, this meeting came about when Elvis decided he really wanted to meet the commander in chief. The Pelvis was convinced that hippie culture was ruining the nation's youth and that he, reigning King of Rock and Roll, could help. Big E rolled up to the White House with assorted members of the Memphis mafia and waited for his private audience with Richard Nixon. Few people at the time knew Presley had a gun on him—an antique firearm he brought as a gift for the president (which was accepted but not presented).

By all accounts, Nixon was slightly confused and very bemused by his unexpected guest. The president patiently listened to the bloated, pill-popping rocker talk about infiltrating youth culture to help end the drug menace; he then bestowed a special DEA badge upon Elvis to shut him up. In an ironic twist, Nixon apparently voiced his concern several times about the King's need to retain credibility. You know you've lost it when a guy nicknamed Tricky Dicky is warning you about keeping it real. The iconic photo of Nixon and Elvis shaking hands remains one of the most popular images in the free world.