Washington’s Birthday

February 22 is George Washington’s birthday.  In 1862, Lincoln issued a proclamation declaring February 22 a day of celebration honoring Washington. On January 31, 1879, Washington’s Birthday became a federally recognized holiday.  Later on June 28, 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which meant that Washington’s Birthday would be celebrated on the third Monday of February each year.  Although many people refer to this day also as Presidents’ Day, it was never officially changed, so it remains George Washington’s Birthday.

In celebration of Washington’s Birthday, I thought it would be fun to learn more about George Washington. So, here are some interesting and fun facts about George Washington:

1. He was born at Pope’s Creek, VA in 1732;
2. He inherited slaves at the age of 11;
3. His first career was as a surveyor;
4. He married Martha Dandridge Custis in 1759;
5. He did not have any biological children, but he had step-children (Martha had 2 living children – John Parke Custis and Martha Parke Custis from a previous marriage);
6. He had a grade school education and was primarily self-educated;
7. He was about 6’2” and weighed about 175 lbs.;
8. His nickname was “Father of His Country”;
9. He was the only president to have a state named for him; and
10. His teeth were not actually wooden (they were stained so they took on the appearance of wood).

Happy birthday George Washington!