Did you know that the United States’ Founding Father suffered malaria, diphtheria, epiglottitis, carbuncle, tuberculosis, smallpox, pneumonia, dysentery, and tonsillitis among other diseases during his term in office? Here are 10 more fun facts about George Washington you probably never knew:
1 While president, George Washington only rejected two bills: the Apportionment Bill of April 5, 1792, and one that intended on cutting the size and cost of the military.
2 He issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation, designating November 26 as a national day of Thanksgiving.
3 Washington’s annual salary as President was $25,000. He initially refused to take a salary as the Commander in Chief, but later accepted it complaining that it wasn’t enough to cover his expenses.
4 The hair you see on the picture above is his real hair, not a wig.
5 George Washington was worth more than half a billion in today’s U.S. dollars.
6 North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Kentucky and Tennessee joined the Union during Washington’s reign as president.
7 Washington is the only U.S. president to be elected unanimously by the Electoral College. In fact, he was elected unanimously in both the elections of 1789 and 1792.
8 He was made an honorary French citizen in 1792.
9 He didn’t have any children of his own. However, he had two stepchildren from his wife Martha Dandridge Custis.
10 He is the only U.S. president to be inaugurated in two cities. The first inauguration was in New York City on April 30, 1789, and the second one was in Philadelphia on March 4, 1793.
+ Bonus Knowledge Nuggets
George Washington owned hundreds of slaves throughout his life. He owned more than 200 enslaved Africans during the Revolution. However, he privately condemned the practice as economically unsound and morally indefensible. He later freed his slaves through his will upon his death.
George Washington – The First President Documentary
I’m Natalie Garcia and I started this website to share my love of trivia, facts and fun knowledge tidbits. We cover things like celebrity gossip, historical facts, tv shows, world leaders and just odd and random fun things. I started this site to have some fun with my hobby and share some useful information with you, our community. Please feel to send me your suggestions and feedback through the contact form. And if you have suggestions for things to write about, please shoot me a message!