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Historical Happenings in February 2025

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Seven Surprising Facts About the First President 


On February 4, 1789, 69 electors cast their ballots in their respective states for the first United States presidential election. George Washington won all 69 electoral votes unanimously, a victory that hasn’t been seen in any presidential election since Washington.[1] Despite his initial reluctance to assume office, Washington accepted the role as America’s first president. 


Washington’s enduring legacy as the first president, a wartime general, and a Founding Father is celebrated annually during Presidents’ Day (February 17, 2025), officially recognized as George Washington’s Birthday. Since we can’t fit 293 candles on a cake, we’re celebrating his 293rd birthday with these fun facts about his life! 


1. Washington Has Two Birthdays, According to Two Different Calendars

George Washington in 18th-century military uniform stands on a bluff while holding a scroll and hat in his hands. William "Billy" Lee is wearing a red turban and sitting on horseback behind him.
This portrait of George Washington shows William "Billy" Lee, his enslaved butler, in the background as they stand above the Hudson River. Lee accompanied Washington throughout the Revolutionary War. The artist is John Trumbull, circa 1780. (This photo is in the public domain through Wikimedia Commons.)

When you’re the first president of the United States, you can have as many birthdays as you want! Not really, but Washington is a special exception because he was born before Great Britain adopted the Gregorian Calendar in 1752.[2] The Gregorian Calendar replaced the Julian Calendar, which had been in effect since 46 B.C., due to the Julian Calendar’s miscalculation of the number of days the Earth takes to orbit the Sun.[3]


As a result, according to the Julian Calendar, Washington’s original birthday (February 11, 1731) was adjusted by one year and 11 days, making his new birthday February 22, 1732. His corrected birthday is the only one celebrated (sorry, George, only one birthday cake for you).[2]


Americans celebrated his birthday years before it became an official holiday in 1879 for federal employees in the District of Columbia. It was later extended to be observed by all federal employees in 1885.[2] George Washington’s Birthday, as it is still officially known, was celebrated annually on February 22 until it was changed to the third Monday of February in 1971 in an effort by Congress to create more three-day weekends for federal employees.[4] 


2. He Isn’t the Only President Who Was Born in February


If you were born in February, you’re in good company! Several U.S. presidents were also born this month, including Presidents William Henry Harrison (born on February 9, 1773), Abraham Lincoln (born on February 12, 1809), and Ronald Reagan (born on February 6, 1911).[5] Since Washington’s birth month coincides with that of these presidents, his holiday is unofficially referred to as Presidents’ Day.[6] 


George Washington in formal attire stands with an outstretched hand in an ornate room. A red curtain, column, and desk with papers and quill are visible.
Artist Gilbert Stuart painted this portrait of George Washington in 1796. (This photo is in the public domain through Wikimedia Commons.)

Despite a proposed name change in 1951 to Presidents’ Day to encompass all presidents, George Washington’s Birthday is still the federally recognized holiday title. Some states, including Virginia, Illinois, Iowa, Florida, and New York, continue commemorating the third Monday in February as “Washington’s Birthday.” Virginia even honors its hometown hero with a month-long celebration![6] 


3. Washington (Most Likely) Didn’t Chop Down a Cherry Tree


As the legend goes, Washington was gifted a hatchet when he was six years old and used it to cut down his father’s cherry tree on Ferry Farm, the family’s home. After being caught, he confessed his crime to his father, Augustine Washington, saying, “I cannot tell a lie…I did cut it with my hatchet.” His father forgave him and praised his honesty.


This myth came from Mason Locke Weems’ book The Life of Washington. The story wasn’t included in Weems’ initial publication in 1800 but debuted in the fifth edition in 1806. This legend was added primarily due to Weems’ desire to portray Washington as a moral hero for young readers to look up to. He wrote to his publisher what his intentions for writing the book were: “Washington you know is gone! Millions are gaping to read something about him…My plan! I give his history, sufficiently minute…I then go on to show that his unparalleled rise and elevation were due to his Great Virtues.”


The cherry tree myth reached more children when it was included in a book that taught virtues to America’s youth. Author William Holmes McGuffey adapted the story for a younger audience and published it in his book The Eclectic Second Reader to show children that they should follow Washington’s example of respecting authority and being truthful. 


While it does make for a great teachable moment about honesty, the cherry tree story hasn’t been verified as a true event, ironically enough. Very little about Washington’s relationship with his father, who passed away when Washington was only 11 years old, has been recorded.[7] Weems said his source was an anonymous friend of the Washington family, but since no one knew the source, this account couldn’t be corroborated.[8] 


While there are no records of cherry trees at Ferry Farm in the estate’s documents from the 1700s, there are mentions of orchards in 1729. Macro-botanical analysis of the farm’s root cellar from when Washington lived there revealed cherry pits. So, perhaps there is some truth to the myth — that’s the cherry on top![9]


4. He Didn’t Receive a Higher Education


Unlike his contemporaries, Washington never received higher education at a college or university. His older half-brothers, Lawrence and Augustine, Jr., received a formal education in England at a grammar school. Unfortunately, Washington’s father’s death in 1743 meant that he didn’t have the same opportunity. Funds were limited after most of their father’s properties went to Lawrence and Augustine, Jr. The remaining inheritance that went to Washington and his family was only sufficient to sustain his mother, Mary, and his five younger siblings and manage their home on Ferry Farm; it wasn’t enough for him to attend a grammar school abroad. Despite these challenges, Washington's resilience and drive to learn are truly inspiring.


Washington was a lifelong learner and, in many ways, was self-taught. His lack of a classical education was a source of insecurity, but he overcame this by his own efforts to study everything from surveying to battle tactics.


Most of the other Founding Fathers received “proper” educations at grammar schools and went on to receive secondary education at colleges. John Adams, who spoke Greek, Latin, and French and had attended Harvard University, criticized Washington as being “too illiterate, unlearned, unread for his station.” However, this couldn’t be further from the truth because Washington was always learning and reading.[10] His journey of self-education is a testament to the power of determination and motivation.


5. His Original Profession Was a Surveyor 


Instead of attending grammar school, Washington had private tutors and likely attended a school in Fredericksburg. He learned reading, writing, manners befitting an 18th-century gentleman, legal forms, geometry, and trigonometry, which prepared him for his later profession as a land surveyor.[11] 


George Washington is standing on a ledge holding a surveying instrument. Behind him is a scribe and Native men.
George Washington is portrayed as a surveyor in this painting by artist Henry Hintermeister, circa 1948. (This photo is in the public domain through Wikimedia Commons.)

Washington studied surveying from the book The Compleat Surveyor by William Leybourn, which he borrowed from his neighbor and family friend, Colonel William Fairfax, when he was 13 years old. After he completed 17 of the problems in the book, he was ready for his first practice surveys in the field in 1747. Two years later, he was appointed county surveyor in Culpeper County, Virginia. Perhaps as a memento of his early years, he kept Fairfax’s copy of The Compleat Surveyor in his personal library for 54 years.[10]


6. Ancient War Heroes Inspired Washington Throughout His Military Career


While he may not have had formal training at a military academy, Washington certainly made up for it through hands-on experience and lots of reading. Among the classical books he poured over were De Rebus gestis, Alexandri Magni by Quintus Curtius Rufus about Alexander the Great and Commentarii de bello Gallico by Julius Caesar about his exploits during the Gallic Wars. 


In a letter dated May 13-14, 1756, Fairfax wrote to him after Washington had read these books, saying,


“You have therein read of greater Fatigues, Murmurings, Mutinys and Defections, than will probably come to your Share tho' if any of those Casualtys [sic] should interrupt your Quiet I doubt not but You would bear them with equal Magnamity [sic] [as] those Heroes remarkably did.”[12]

Alexander the Great’s and Julius Caesar’s victories encouraged Washington after he lost battles during his service in the French and Indian War as a lieutenant colonel.[12] After the war ended, he returned to his home at Mount Vernon, which he had inherited from his half-brother Lawrence after his death in 1754.[13] Here, he decided to memorialize the heroic men whose conquests had inspired him when he faced defeat. The central passage of his home would feature busts of Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, King Charles XII of Sweden, King Frederick the Great of Prussia, Price Eugène of Savoy, and the Duke of Marlborough of England. When his agents couldn’t procure these six busts, Washington instead bought books about these military leaders to add to his library.[12]


"Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze, circa 1851, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (This photo is in the public domain through Wikimedia Commons.)
"Washington Crossing the Delaware" by Emanuel Leutze, circa 1851, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. (This photo is in the public domain through Wikimedia Commons.)

Washington’s appreciation of these warriors never waned over the next several years, and their victories in battle continued to inspire him during the Revolutionary War. As the Continental Army’s commander-in-chief, he was tasked with an enormous responsibility to organize inexperienced troops to fight against the well-oiled machine that was the British Army. His campaigns in the French and Indian War gave him frontier warfare experience, but this did little to prepare him for the knowledge needed to move large numbers of troops or oversee supply lines.[12]


Thankfully, his determination and inspiration from his war heroes gave him the fortitude to learn as he went. He read books about ancient and modern warfare and biographies of famous generals. The officers in his command were instructed to do the same, and even soldiers were encouraged to read manuals to help them learn military commands.[12] 


7. Washington Didn’t Campaign for the Presidency


After the Peace Treaty was signed on September 3, 1783 — signifying the end of the Revolutionary War — Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief on December 23, 1783, and returned home to Mount Vernon.[14] His plans for a quiet retirement were interrupted in 1787 when James Madison and General Henry Knox convinced him to attend the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he was elected president of the convention. He presided over the debates and said little because he believed his role was nonpartisan and should serve as a mediator if the arguments between the delegates got out of hand.[15] 


One of these arguments at the Constitutional Convention centered around the structure of the executive branch. Some delegates were in favor of a three-person board, while others believed one person should serve in the executive position. The latter proposition won with the assumption that this single executive would one day be Washington. It was with him in mind that the delegates wrote the role of the president into the Constitution.[15] One delegate wrote, “The powers to be given to a president [were shaped] by opinions of Washington’s virtues.”[16]


Once the newly written Constitution was ratified by the necessary number of states in 1788 and went into effect on March 4, 1789, it was time to elect the new nation’s first president.[17] Unlike in today’s presidential elections, Washington did not campaign for his presidency.[1] While many people believed that Washington would become president, he never publicly stated any intention to do so. In fact, he said quite the opposite, stating that he had “no wish which aspires beyond the humble and happy lot of living and dying a private citizen.”[18] 


However, the electors believed that Washington was just the man to lead the nation. On February 4, 1789, they unanimously cast all 69 ballots to elect him as the first president. The election results weren’t official until Congress met to count the votes on April 6. After the votes were tallied, the honor of relaying the results to Washington fell to Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson. He arrived at Mount Vernon on April 14 and shared the news with Washington, who responded:


"I have been long accustomed to entertain so great a respect for the opinion of my fellow-citizens, that the knowledge of their unanimous suffrages having been given in my favor, scarcely leaves me... an option. Whatever may have been my private feelings and sentiments, I believe I cannot give a greater evidence of my sensibility for the honor they have done me, than by accepting the appointment... All I can promise is, only that which can be accomplished by an honest zeal."[1] 

Washington left his beloved Mount Vernon two days later and went to New York City, where he was inaugurated on April 30, 1789.[18] Although he was originally hesitant to become president, he went on to serve his country faithfully in a second term (1793–1797).[11] 


A group of men stand on a columned balcony as George Washington is sworn into office. Flags and cheering crowds are in the background.
Artist Ramon de Elorriaga's painting of George Washington's inauguration on April 30, 1789. (This photo is in the public domain through Wikimedia Commons.)

Teacher Resources


Now that you know these facts, explore ways to teach your students about Washington’s life and legacy through interactive, free virtual exhibits.  


Virtual Tour of Mount Vernon: This tour allows you and your students to click through each room in the mansion, as well as other buildings and several gardens on the property. Pop-up menus provide more information about the people who lived here and the restoration efforts undertaken by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association of the Union, which owns and operates Washington’s home. These accompanying educational resources can help you plan your lesson around the virtual tour. Click here to start exploring! 


Virtual Tour of Washington’s Field Headquarters: Travel back in time to the Revolutionary War and step inside Washington’s Conntential Army mobile headquarters. Inside the camp, you’ll find Washington’s sleeping marquee, dining tent, baggage tent, and soldiers’ tents. This tour is an excellent way for your students to see what life was like for Washington and his troops during the war. Click here to begin!


Virtual Tour of “Lives Boud Together: Slavery at George Washington’s Mount Vernon” Exhibit: This exhibit honors the lives of the hundreds of enslaved people at Mount Vernon. Through artifacts, Washington’s meticulous records, paintings, first-hand accounts, and more, viewers get an up-close look at how the over 300 enslaved men, women, and children lived. Throughout the tour, you also see how Washington’s view of slavery gradually changed over time, which led him to ultimately free the slaves he owned upon his death. His will, which outlines the emancipation, is also on display. Click here to view the tour, and click here to learn more about the exhibit. 


For more resources about Washington and other U.S. presidents, browse our presidential titles. To discover more historical tidbits, lesson plan ideas, and free activities, follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Also, check out our other blogs for even more “Historical Happening


 

Sources:


[1] “An Imperfect Election.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/election/imperfect-election. Accessed 27 January 2025.


[2] “George Washington’s Birthday.” The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, 27 December 2023, https://www.archives.gov/legislative/features/washington#:~:text=George%20Washington%20was%20born%20in,days%20to%20February%2022%2C%201732. Accessed 28 January 2025. 


[3] “Julian/Gregorian Calendars.” Manuscripts and Special Collections | University of Nottingham, https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/manuscriptsandspecialcollections/researchguidance/datingdocuments/juliangregorian.aspx. Accessed 28 January 2025. 


[4] “Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day).” The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/washingtons-birthday. Accessed 31 January 2023.



[6] "’Presidents' Day’? The Truth Behind the Holiday.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/facts/the-truth-about-presidents-day#:~:text=The%20%22Presidents'%20Day%22%20Misnomer,official%20name%20of%20the%20holiday. Accessed 28 February 2025. 


[7] Richardson, Jay. “Cherry Tree Myth.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/cherry-tree-myth. Accessed 28 January 2025. 


[8] “George Washington and the Cherry Tree.” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/articles/george-washington-and-the-cherry-tree.htm. Accessed 28 January 2025.


[9] “10 Facts About Augustine Washington.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/family/father. Accessed 29 January 2025.


[10] “Education.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/take-note/education. Accessed 29 January 2025. 


[11] “Biography of George Washington.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/biography. Accessed 22 January 2025.


[12] “Soldier Scholar.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/take-note/soldier-scholar. Accessed 29 January 2025.



[14] Kladky, William P., Ph.D. “Continental Army.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/continental-army. Accessed 27 January 2025. 


[15] Kladky, William P., Ph.D. “Constitutional Convention.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/constitutional-convention. Accessed 27 January 2025. 


[16] “George Washington and Executive Power.” Center for Civic Education, 1998, https://www.civiced.org/lesson-plans/washington. Accessed 30 January 2025. 


[17] “Constitution FAQs.” National Constitution Center, https://constitutioncenter.org/education/constitution-faqs. Accessed 23 August 2023.


[18] “10 Facts About President Washington’s Election.” George Washington’s Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/the-first-president/election/10-facts-about-washingtons-election. Accessed 27 January 2025.

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