7 Fun Facts About George Washington
Our first president's height and weight, favorite foods, the names of his dogs, and more
- Grades: 3–5, 6–8
1. Education (or Lack Thereof)
George Washington started school when he was six years old. He left school at 15 to become a surveyor because his mother couldn't afford to send him to college.
2. Family Life
At 26, he married Martha Dandridge Custis, a widow who already had two children, Jackie and Patsy. Washington never had any children of his own.
3. Reaching Great Heights
At six feet, two inches tall and 200 pounds, he was one of our biggest presidents.
4. Favorite Foods
Some of his favorite dishes were cream of peanut soup, mashed sweet potatoes with coconut, and string beans with mushrooms.
5. Canine Crush
He bred hound dogs that he treated like members of the family. He gave some of them unusual names: Tarter, True Love, and Sweet Lips.
6. What Ailed Him
Toothaches bothered him for years. When he was 57, he had all his teeth pulled. From then on, he wore ivory false teeth set in a silver plate.
7. Future Home Base
Although he helped plan the nation's new capital city that was named for him, he never lived there. New York City and, later, Philadelphia were the nation's capitals while he was president.
Learn more about America's first president at whitehouse.gov.
Adapted from Scholastic Newstime.