Discover the Unexpected: Top 12 Entertaining and Fun Facts About George Washington You Never Knew!

1. Wooden Teeth Myth

Who wood have thought it? George Washington's dental history is a truly toothsome tale: In reality, his dentures were a motley crew of materials such as human, cow, and horse teeth, ivory, lead-tin alloy, copper alloy, and silver alloy, debunking the myth of his wooden pearly whites.
Source => mountvernon.org

2. Spymaster Washington

Spymaster-in-Chief Washington whipped out his invisible ink and secret decoder ring, ready to spill the Revolutionary tea: George Washington led a sophisticated spy network called the Culper Spy Ring, using pseudonyms, numerical codes, and discreet messages hidden in everyday objects to gather crucial intel and thwart British plans during the war.
Source => mountvernon.org

Did you know George Washington Carver explored over 300 uses for peanuts, creating not just food, but cosmetics, dyes, and even fuel sources? Discover more fascinating facts about this humble legume!

=> Fun Facts about George-Washington-Carver

3. Diaries on Hiatus

Who needs a diary when you're busy fighting for freedom, am I right? Well, turns out George Washington felt the same: He took a break from maintaining a diary during the Revolutionary War, only resuming his diary-keeping after resigning as commander-in-chief, with only a handful of presidential diaries surviving to leave historians scratching their heads.
Source => loc.gov

4. Hemp, Not High

If George Washington were alive today, he might just tell you to "hold your horses, partner" before assuming he hit the bong like a founding father of 420: in reality, he only cultivated industrial hemp at Mount Vernon for pragmatic uses like rope, sail canvas, and repairing fishing nets!
Source => mountvernon.org

5. Cherry Tree Fib

Well, isn't that just the cherry on top of Washington's truth-sundae: it turns out that the classic story of George Washington cutting down his father's cherry tree and admitting the deed with "I cannot tell a lie!" is itself a lie! The tale was fabricated by biographer Mason Locke Weems to showcase Washington's honesty and character. In actuality, young George did uphold strong values of integrity and authored a set of personal rules, one of which says, "Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation." So while he never committed wood-pocide, his real-life honesty made quite the impression and continues to be a pillar of his legacy.
Source => mountvernon.org

6. Early Riser Washington

You Snooze, You Don't Win Revolutionary Wars: Setting the record straight, George Washington didn't need a canine snooze button like adorable Sweetlips, as he was a self-motivated early riser who preferred his mornings pet-free with a side of history-making.
Source => history.com

7. Slate-Throwing Athlete

Before Chuck Norris threw fists, George Washington threw slates: In reality, our first President didn't wildly chuck slates across the Rappahannock River as rumor has it, but his step-grandson did witness Washington's mighty arm catapult a slate clear across the river in Fredericksburg, demonstrating his athletic prowess in various sports, from archery to swimming and horseback riding.
Source => mountvernon.org

8. Ice Cream Enthusiast

Before Ben & Jerry's, there was Georgie & Whey's: George Washington was known to be quite the ice cream aficionado, churning his way through the President's House in true OG (Original Gelato) style. In the summer of 1790, our nation's first commander-in-freezer even spent some good ol' Washingtons on this frosty indulgence, equipped with not one, but two freising molds to further solidify his frozen dessert game at Monticello. Thus, Washington's passion for ice cream set the stage for America's everlasting love affair with this delightful, chilly treat.
Source => dumbartonhouse.org

9. Polly the Parrot

Martha Washington was such a bird-brained hostess, even her own parrot, Polly, got a seat at the dinner table: George and Martha loved their menagerie of pets, but while George favored his horses, Martha enjoyed her assortment of birds, and her pet parrot Polly, which was known to engage with guests at social events and even outlived the First Couple.
Source => presidentialpetmuseum.com

10. Corset Posture

Who knew George Washington and corsets had a thing in common? Far from being 18th-century shapewear influencers, it turns out America's founding father was just trying to straighten up and fly right: As a youngster, Washington wore a corset as a posture-correcting fashion practice of the time, but instead of developing a statuesque stance, it led to his signature sloping, pulled-back shoulders as he aged.
Source => npr.org

11. Party-Free Plantation

Before he was chopping down cherry trees and ruling the nation, George Washington was a farmer looking for a pimped-out plantation to call his own: Turns out, he actually leased some land with his buddies at River Farm in the 1750s before officially establishing his own, passion-filled place in the 1760s, where he cultivated his crops rather than hosting wild colonial parties.
Source => jay.typepad.com

12. Washington Tomb Upgrade

Who said there's no rest for the wicked? Apparently, even American founding fathers need an upgrade in their eternal resting places: George Washington's last will and testament included directions to construct a new, grander tomb at Mount Vernon, where both he and Martha now reside. Their tomb is open for visitors every day of the year to pay homage to the premiere Presidential power couple.
Source => mountvernon.org