50 Funny & Cool George Washington Facts You Might've Missed

Think you know George Washington? The powdered-wig-wearing, cherry-tree-chopping, wooden-tooth-having founding father from your 5th-grade textbook? We bet you don’t, because the real story? Way weirder.

From ice cream hoarder to mule enthusiast, ol’ George was less “stoic statue” and more “party-starting, horse-dodging whiskey mogul with a flair for dance and dramatic death prep.”

Strap yourselves in for this one, because history’s about to get hilariously human.

George Washington Fun Facts

“Shift that fat ass, Harry-but slowly, or you’ll swamp the damn boat.”

-Washington to his slightly obese crewmate General Henry Knox during the famed 1776 Delaware River crossing.

Guess that British regiment on the other side of the river weren’t the only ones dealing with surprise attacks that night…

George Washington was America’s first mule breeder! Recognizing the value of mules for farmers, Washington established mule breeding at Mount Vernon, which powered agriculture in the South.
Washington owned at least 36 foxhounds and gave them incredibly mushy names like “Sweet Lips,” “Venus,” “Tipsy,” and “True Love.”
Contrary to popular belief, Washington’s teeth were not made of wood but a horrifying combination of human teeth (possibly from slaves), cow and horse teeth, and ivory — all held together by springs that required him to clench his mouth to keep it shut.
Washington was actually one of the new nation’s most successful liquor distributors, producing rye whiskey and fruit brandies at his state-of-the-art Mount Vernon distillery.
At the time of his death, Washington insisted mourners wait at least three days before burying him — just in case he was only unconscious.
Despite being 6’2″ and very muscular with broad shoulders, Washington weighed only 175 pounds — making him quite lean for his impressive stature.
Washington was such a fan of ice cream that he purchased special “ice cream-making equipment” for the capital and owned as many as 36 ice pots for serving the dessert.
Washington survived nearly drowning in an ice-clogged river, the burning of Fort Necessity, and having two horses shot out from under him in a single battle — yet was ultimately killed by a sore throat and less-than-reliable medical treatment techniques.
If dinner guests were even five minutes late to Washington’s table, they would find everyone already eating. Washington would explain that his cook was “governed by the clock and not by the company.”
Washington’s first love wasn’t Martha but Sally Fairfax, the wife of one of his best friends. Before his wedding to Martha, he wrote Sally a passionate letter declaring his feelings.
Washington’s favorite breakfast was “hoecakes” — essentially corn pancakes that he liked smothered in butter and honey.
Despite his stern appearance in portraits, Washington loved to dance and was known to dance “late into the night at various balls, cotillions, and parties.”
Washington was the fifth of nine surviving children from his father’s two marriages — with three brothers, two sisters, three half-brothers, and one half-sister.
The famous cherry tree story (“I cannot tell a lie”) was completely invented by one of Washington’s early biographers, Mason Locke Weems, who published it in 1806, seven years after Washington’s death.
Washington was an enthusiastic billiards player and gambler who also enjoyed card games and betting on horse races.
Washington’s wife Martha had a cake recipe that called for 40 eggs, four pounds of butter, four pounds of sugar, and five pounds of flour!
Washington had a phobia of being buried alive — he left instructions in his will that his body should not be buried for three days after his death, just to be sure he was really dead.
During the French and Indian War, Washington survived what should have been certain death when four bullets passed through his coat, and two horses were shot out from under him.
Washington was America’s first spymaster, designing an elaborate espionage system against the British during the Revolutionary War that was so advanced that the CIA considers him the father of American intelligence.
The first time Washington ran for public office, he lost! It was only on his second attempt that he won a seat in the Virginia House of Burgesses.
Washington reportedly had a condition that caused him to faint or lose consciousness, possibly due to a combination of stress, dehydration, and high temperatures.
Washington is the only president to have a state named after him.
At dinner parties, Washington typically drank a pint of beer and two or three glasses of wine, becoming noticeably more lively after alcohol consumption.
Martha Washington was eight months older than George — an unusual age dynamic for marriages of that time.
In 1777, Washington ordered the first mass immunization in American military history, requiring all Continental soldiers to be vaccinated against smallpox.
Washington employed more people at Mount Vernon than he did in the entire executive branch of the early U.S. government.
Washington’s trip to Barbados in 1751 was the only time he ever left mainland North America. While there, he contracted smallpox but survived, giving him immunity that would prove crucial during later epidemics.
Washington was unanimously elected president twice, receiving all electoral votes (69) in the first election — something no other president has achieved.
Washington expanded his estate from 2,000 acres to a massive 8,000 acres that included five separate farms growing various crops.
At the time of his death, Washington’s plantation housed 317 enslaved people — though in his will, he instructed that they be freed upon Martha’s death.
Washington is the only president who did not live in the White House — it wasn’t completed until after his presidency.
Washington regularly requested ship captains to bring him pineapples from the West Indies, sometimes as many as two or three dozen at a time.
Washington has appeared on more U.S. postage stamps than all other presidents combined.
During the Battle of the Monongahela, Washington was suffering from such severe dysentery that he could barely ride his horse, yet he managed to help organize the retreat after the British defeat.
Washington’s formal schooling ended when he was just 11 years old after his father died.
Washington feared being buried alive so much that he directed his body not be buried for three days after his death, just in case.
Washington took his performance on the dance floor “deadly serious,” once referring warmly to dance as “the gentler conflict.”
Despite his dignified reputation, Washington was known to have a quick temper and allegedly once threw a punch at a fellow officer during the French and Indian War.
The form of whiskey Washington produced at Mount Vernon was similar to modern moonshine, leading to myths that he was a moonshiner.
Washington was a prolific letter writer, and he was estimated to have written over 20,000 letters during his lifetime.
A British poll in 2012 ranked Washington as Great Britain’s greatest military enemy ever — beating out Napoleon and other feared adversaries.
Washington technically didn’t retire after his presidency — he came out of retirement in 1798 when war with France seemed possible to prepare to lead American forces again.
In 1787, Washington was unanimously chosen to preside over the Constitutional Convention despite speaking very little during the proceedings.
Washington’s distillery produced nearly 11,000 gallons of whiskey annually by 1799, making it the largest whiskey producer in America at the time.
During the American Revolution, Washington lost more battles than he won — yet still managed to win the war through strategic retreats and carefully chosen engagements.
In 1755, Washington was chosen as an aide to British General Edward Braddock specifically because of his extensive knowledge of the American frontier.
In the first presidential election, Washington received votes from all 69 electors — the only president ever to win unanimously.
In his “Circular Letter to the States” in 1783, Washington outlined what he believed necessary for America to succeed — a precursor to his famous Farewell Address 13 years later.
Washington’s doctors bled him extensively during his final illness, removing about 40% of his blood — a treatment that likely hastened his death rather than helping him.
Washington’s theatrical dinner parties featured elaborate dessert courses with ice creams, jellies, pies, puddings, watermelons, and other fruits — all served on fine china.

Wrapping it Up

So, the next time someone mentions George Washington, don’t just picture the serious guy on the dollar bill—picture a tall, lean, mule-breeding, ice-cream-loving dance machine who dodged bullets, hoarded pineapples, and basically moonlighted as a whiskey baron.

He helped birth a nation and threw legendary dinner parties.

Honestly? Founding Father by day, eccentric legend by night.

History class didn’t do him justice.

50 Funny & Cool George Washington Facts

George Washington Fun Facts

Wrapping it Up

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​George Washington Fun Facts

Wrapping it Up

Sources

Categories

Company

George Washington Fun Facts