George Washington is known to be the first president of the United States of America. He has been praised and respected for his leadership skills, intelligence, and courage. Although there are many things known about his achievements, many fun facts about George Washington may surprise you.
1. George Washington had a love for gardening: Despite being a soldier and politician, George Washington loved gardening. He enjoyed spending time in his garden, planting vegetables, fruits, and flowers. He even kept a diary on his gardening, which was published as a book called “The Garden Diary.”
2. He had only one tooth left: Contrary to common knowledge, George Washington never had wooden teeth. He had several sets of dentures, but by the time he became President, he only had one natural tooth left in his mouth!
3. He was an animal lover: George Washington loved animals and had many pets like horses, donkeys, hounds, and even parrots. He named one of his dogs “Sweet Lips” and another “True Love.”
4. He was an excellent dancer: George Washington was known for his great dancing skills. He used to dance the minuet, an elaborate dance form of the 18th century.
5. He had a cool spy record: During the American Revolutionary War, George Washington used to gather intelligence information in disguise. He had a ring of spies called the Culper Spy Ring, who carried secret messages to him using codes and ciphers.
6. He was a great horse rider: George Washington was an expert horse rider, and he loved to ride his horses through the Virginia countryside.
7. He was a basketball fan: Although basketball wasn’t played back in the 1700s, George Washington played a game similar to basketball called “rounders.” He would often play this game with his troops during their downtime.
8. He established Thanksgiving Day: George Washington established the national holiday of Thanksgiving. In 1789, Congress asked George Washington to declare a day of Thanksgiving, and he chose November 26th as the date. He hoped it would be a day for Americans to come together and give thanks.
