Fun facts about Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton

In a race that seems to have lasted half an eternity, the US presidential candidates are finally heading down the homestretch. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's faces have been nearly omnipresent for over a year, but both have a number of unusual features that sometimes get ignored.

Hillary Clinton grew up in a conservative household in Illinois. Her father manufactured drapery, and as a young woman she was a Republican who supported both Barry Goldwater and Richard Nixon. It was only later that she became a Democrat and let down her hair - much to the delight of many a coiffeur.

In his earlier years, it was difficult to tell which party, if any, Trump supported. In the past he endorsed Democratic candidates, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, and some of his statements over the years have been remarkably liberal. He only found his way to the Republicans late in life - much to the dismay of some members of the party.

Hillary Clinton initially owed her fame to the fact that she was married to the president of the United States. But when Bill first asked for her hand, she said no. He had to propose several times before she agreed to become his wife.

From 1996 until 2015, Trump owned part or all of the Miss Universe, Miss USA, and Miss Teen USA beauty pageants, and by his own admission, he paid occasional visits to the contestants' backstage dressing areas to check that everything was in its … er … right place. That may account for Miss California's expression here.

Clinton was the first female ever to serve on the board of US discount department store Wal-Mart. The company is - to put it delicately - not exactly known for being worker-friendly. Years later Hillary did a signing of her autobiography at one of Wal-Mart's many outlets, where employees would have had difficulty affording a copy.

Although he got his start in real estate, Trump has appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including, of course, the reality show The Apprentice. He's a member of the Screen Actors' Guild and receives an annual pension of more than $110,000 for his work on screen. He got his recently repaired star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in 2007.

In this image, Bill seems to be taking more of an interest in cows, but it's Hillary who has more history with them. In the late 1970s, she turned $1,000 into nearly $100,000 trading in cattle futures. Critics say these dealings were corrupt, but no charges have ever been brought in connection with this bovine bonanza.

Trump made numerous appearances inside the wrestling ring as part of a supposed feud with World Wrestling Entertainment boss Vince McMahon. What better preparation for the post-factual era? Trump's facility with rigged battles earned him induction into the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Wanna bet that he'd love to re-enact this scene with Hillary?

As first lady, Clinton was known for experimenting with various styles. In 1996 "Vanity Fair" magazine claimed that she had sported 43 different hairstyles in the White House - enough to suit a broad variety of occasions. This is the one she wore when talking about Monica Lewinsky, the intern with whom her husband had an affair.

Donald Trump insists that he has never tried alcohol and cigarettes, and among his many claims, this one stands out because it seems to be true. Those who know and have met him confirm that he is indeed a teetotaler. What was that again about power being the ultimate drug?

As secretary of state, Clinton visited more foreign countries (112) than any previous holder of that office. (For the record, Condoleezza Rice logged more flight miles.) When she stepped down in 2013, her staff gave her a football jersey with the number 112.

Much was made about Trump and Clinton not shaking hands before their second debate, but in fact the Donald prefers not to shake hands with anyone and is regarded as a germaphobe. It's a quality also associated with Howard Hughes, Michael Jackson, Nikola Tesla and Adolf Hitler.

Many detractors - and not a few supporters - find Hillary Clinton's voice grating to the ear. But that didn't prevent her from winning a Grammy in 1997 for best spoken word performance for the audio-book of her autobiography "It Takes a Village." BTW: Celine Dion won for best album that year. You draw the conclusions.

Almost everything about Trump seems a bit larger than life and beyond belief, so why should his legal history be any different? The Republican has been involved some 3,500 lawsuits in US federal and state courts. That's close but not quite good enough for an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. Note to Donald: Must try harder.