Essential Book of Presidential Trivia

George Washington #1 was America's first trueaction hero. Admired by his fellow men, he was brave, commanding, and daring.Washington is considered a legend in his own time, not for chopping down a cherry tree or having wooden teeth, but for sculpting a government that is still in use today. (The cherry tree and wooden teeth are urban myths.) Although he was a rugged war hero,Washington was perhaps the first "Renaissance man" to be president. He was an avid art collector and a fabulous dancer (it is said that ladies waited in long lines to dance with the president at public functions).Washington also had a flair for fashion and designed many military uniforms, as well as decorating his Mount Vernon estate himself. A little-known fact about George is that he actually selected and surveyed the place for our nation's capital (the White House, too). He will be remembered not only for forming the best cabinet in history but also for defining the highest office in the land, the presidency of the United States of America. By the time George was fifty-seven he had lost nearly all of his teeth. This was most likely due to his habit of cracking walnuts with them as well as not taking good care of them. This is interesting because George hired staff to brush his horses' teeth daily. Embarrassed about having few teeth,Washington was on a quest to find a comfortable set of false teeth. Some were made of lead, some of ivory; some were animal and human teeth. None were made of wood as the legend has led us to believe.When he was inaugurated, he still had one tooth of his own, and his French dentist made him an ivory set to fit around that natural tooth. Did You Know That . . . -Washington banned curse words from the army (although he said alotof the words he banned)? - George Washington was the only president to win 100 percent of the electoral college for both of his elections? -George Washington was eleven when his dad died? -Washington's mom was unpredictable and nagged and bothered him into his presidency? -First Lady Martha Washington was five feet tall? -Martha Washington missed her husband's inauguration because she could not get to New York in time? -First Lady Martha Washington's first husband, Daniel Custis, died, leaving her a widow with two children? -Washington suffered smallpox and lived through it? -Washington once had a relationship with Sally Fairfax? -Washington's annual salary was approximately $25,000 (about $1,000,000 in today's economy)? -Washington spent 7 percent of that annual salary on alcohol? -Washington had fine furs put on all his horses? - President Jimmy Carter bestowed on Washington the rank of "six-star general" and "General of the Armies of Congress"? (He felt that our first president should be the highest-ranking military official of all time.) -Washington loved to hunt fox? - As president,Washington had the United States remain neutral during the English and French quarrels? -President Washington would not shake hands because he thought this beneath the president? (He preferred bowing.) -George Washington traveled throughout his presidency and visited each state in the Union during that time? -Washington collected paintings on these travels? (They can be seen at Mount Vernon.) -President Washington's favorite horse was a white horse named Nelson? -George Washington added the words "so help me God" to the presidential oath of office? -Washington decided that the president should be called "the president," not "the king" or "His Majesty&amMcCullough, Noah is the author of 'Essential Book of Presidential Trivia ', published 2006 under ISBN 9781400064823 and ISBN 1400064821.