Ten Things You Never Knew about George Washington, born on this day in 1732:
His dentures carved from a hippopotamus tusk. They were drilled with a hole
to fit over Washington's one remaining tooth, and they rubbed against his
natural tooth in such a way that Washington was in constant pain, and so he used
an alcoholic solution infused with opium.
By the time he reached 30, he had survived malaria, smallpox, pleurisy,
dysentery. He was fired at on two separate occasions -- and in one of them, his
horse was shot out from under him and four bullets punctured his coat. He also
fell off a raft into an icy river and nearly drowned.
During the last night of his life, a doctor friend came over to perform an
emergency tracheotomy on Washington. Arriving too late, the doctor tried to
resurrect Washington by thawing him in cold water, then wrapping him in
blankets and rubbing him in order to activate blood vessels, then opening his
trachea to inflate his lungs with air, and then transfusing blood from a lamb into
him.
He enjoyed playing cards, hunting foxes and ducks, fishing, cockfighting,
horse racing, boat racing, and dancing. He bred hound dogs and gave them names
like "Sweet Lips" and "Tarter."
His favorite foods included mashed potatoes with coconut, string beans with
mushrooms, cream of peanut soup, salt cod, and pineapples.
He snored very loudly.
He did not wear a powdered wig, as was fashionable at the time. Instead, he
powdered his own red-brown hair.
Washington had a speech impediment and was not good at spelling. He would
often mix up i's and e's when speaking and in writing.
There are 33 counties, seven mountains, nine colleges, and 121 post offices
named after Washington.
He delivered the shortest inaugural address ever. It was only 133 words long
and took 90 seconds to deliver.
His dentures carved from a hippopotamus tusk. They were drilled with a hole
to fit over Washington's one remaining tooth, and they rubbed against his
natural tooth in such a way that Washington was in constant pain, and so he used
an alcoholic solution infused with opium.
By the time he reached 30, he had survived malaria, smallpox, pleurisy,
dysentery. He was fired at on two separate occasions -- and in one of them, his
horse was shot out from under him and four bullets punctured his coat. He also
fell off a raft into an icy river and nearly drowned.
During the last night of his life, a doctor friend came over to perform an
emergency tracheotomy on Washington. Arriving too late, the doctor tried to
resurrect Washington by thawing him in cold water, then wrapping him in
blankets and rubbing him in order to activate blood vessels, then opening his
trachea to inflate his lungs with air, and then transfusing blood from a lamb into
him.
He enjoyed playing cards, hunting foxes and ducks, fishing, cockfighting,
horse racing, boat racing, and dancing. He bred hound dogs and gave them names
like "Sweet Lips" and "Tarter."
His favorite foods included mashed potatoes with coconut, string beans with
mushrooms, cream of peanut soup, salt cod, and pineapples.
He snored very loudly.
He did not wear a powdered wig, as was fashionable at the time. Instead, he
powdered his own red-brown hair.
Washington had a speech impediment and was not good at spelling. He would
often mix up i's and e's when speaking and in writing.
There are 33 counties, seven mountains, nine colleges, and 121 post offices
named after Washington.
He delivered the shortest inaugural address ever. It was only 133 words long
and took 90 seconds to deliver.
