QUICK FACTS
Nickname: Father of His Country
Years in office: 1789–1797
Political party: None, but favored Federalist
Birthday: February 22, 1732
Official presidential portrait of George Washington
by Gilbert Stuart, 1797
George Washington’s false teeth (from the collection at Mount Vernon)
Contrary to popular belief, George Washington’s false teeth were not made of wood. In fact, Washington’s dentures were constructed of materials such as bone, human teeth, cow teeth, lead, brass, gold wire, and even hippopotamus ivory. According to the Mount Vernon website, Washington had only one real tooth remaining at his first inauguration. Despite his noteworthy physical strength and impressive persona, Washington was most likely plagued by dental difficulties for most of his adult life.
The voters had to convince a weary Washington to “run” for president. In the end, it was more a selection than an election. He is the only president to be elected unanimously by the electoral college.
John Adams, with the second highest amount of votes, became the vice president.
In 1792, Washington was ready for retirement. But, with France and Britain at odds, and the American South threatening secession, he was convinced to serve again. For the last time in election history, a president was elected unanimously.
BIRTHPLACE
Pope’s Creek, Westmoreland County, VA
HOME
Mount Vernon, Mt. Vernon, VA
GRAVESITE
Mount Vernon, Mt. Vernon, VA
WASHINGTON MONUMENT
Washington, D.C.
BOOKS
Davis, Kenneth C., and Pedro Martin. Don’t Know Much about the Presidents. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2014.
DeGregorio, William A., and Aaron Jaffe. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books, Inc., 2017.
Kane, Joseph Nathan, and Janet Podell. Facts about the Presidents: A Compilation of Biographical and Historical Information. New York: H.W. Wilson, 2009.
WEBSITES
Encyclopedia Britannica, britannica.com
Library of Congress, loc.gov
Miller Center, University of Virginia, millercenter.org/the-presidency
The White House, whitehouse.gov
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