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Not having a great
deal of money, George Washington had to borrow some to go to his
own inauguration.
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Jimmy Carter
ordered Washington to be promoted posthumously to the position
of six-star “General of the Armies of Congress.” Carter did this
because he believed that the first President of America should
also be America’s highest military official.
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George Washington
was the first President to have his picture displayed on a
postage stamp.
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Of the two
Presidents to sign the U.S. Constitution, George Washington was
one of the them. James Madison was the other.
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George Washington
had politics in his blood. He was a half first cousin twice
removed of James Madison, a second cousin seven times removed of
Queen Elizabeth II, a third cousin twice removed of Robert E.
Lee, and an eighth cousin six times removed of Winston
Churchill.
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It’s clear that
everyone wanted Washington as President. He’s the only President
to ever have been voted in unanimously, receiving all sixty-nine
of the votes that were cast.
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Washington only
had one tooth of his own during his inauguration. He would
sometimes wear dentures made from ivory, lead, or other human or
animal teeth. Good thing his inauguration speech was only 183
words long and only took 90 seconds to read. It was difficult
for him because he only had one tooth.
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Powdered wigs were
very fashionable in the late 1700s. Washington however refused
to wear one. He instead would put powder in his red-brown hair
and put it in a short braid that would run down his back.
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Washington carried
a portable sundial with him.
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Washington had six
white horses in his stables. On his orders, these horses had
their teeth brushed every morning.
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Washington was the
only president who didn’t live in Washington, D.C. This is
because at the time of his presidency, the nation’s capital was
in Philadelphia.
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One of
Washington’s favourite pastimes was to help fight fires. His
favourite sports were fishing and fox hunting.
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Although
Washington’s birthday is celebrated on February 22, he was
actually born on February 11, 1731.
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Washington had
smallpox as a child and his face was scarred from it.
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Washington was the
first Lieutenant General in American history.
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At his home in
Mount Vernon, Washington had two ice cream freezers installed.
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Although his wife
Martha had four children from her first marriage, George
Washington had no biological children and so left no direct
descendant.
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It’s believed that
Washington was named after George Eskridge. Eskridge was a
lawyer who was named as guardian for Washington’s mother when
her parents died.
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Washington ordered
that there be no swearing in the U.S. Army.
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Washington’s boot
size was 13.
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Washington’s
estimated I.Q. was 125.
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Washington snored
very loudly.
