History Facts

George Washington is one of the most interesting Presidents in American history. Not because he was the first, but for the precedents he set and what he accomplished in his life time. To this day, George Washington is still revered and regarded as a model President for all those who follow.

Fact #1 - George Washington was the first President of the United States of America. After the end of the Revolutionary war, members of Washington’s army put forth a movement to make him King of the United States. Washington quickly rejected it.

Fact #2 - Washington is the only president who was elected unanimously and also the only president that did not live in the White House. The White House wasn’t built during his terms, however, Washington did oversee it’s plans and the plans of the Capitol. Washington lived in New York City and Philadelphia during his presidency.

Fact #3 - Five states were added to the Union during Washington’s presidency - North Carolina (1789), Rhode Island (1790), Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), and Tennesee (1796).

Fact #4 - Washington did his own bookkeeping and recorded every penny of expense or profit. His ledgers still exist today. You’d think he would have made a good account, but his professions (other then military general) were actually a planter and surveyor.

Fact #5 - After World War II, which saw the introduction of U.S. “5-star” officers who outranked Washington, both Congress and the President revisited the issue of Washington’s rank. To maintain George Washington’s proper position as the first Commanding General of the United States Army, he was appointed, posthumously, to the grade of General of the Armies of the United States

Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders in history, and was undefeated in battle. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks. There are a lot of surprising facts about Alexander, such as who he studied under.

Fact #1 - Tutored by Leonidas (possibly his uncle) and the great Greek philosopher Aristotle.

Leonidas was made famous in today’s pop culture by the film 300. Surely having mentors with the military skills of Leonidas and the mind of Aristotle helped contribute to Alexander’s success on the battlefield.

Fact #2 - During his youth, Alexander tamed the wild horse Bucephalus. Later, when his beloved horse died, Alexander renamed a city in India for Bucephalus.

Bucephalus was arguably the most famous horse of antiquity. Ancient accounts state Bucephalus died after the Battle of the Hydaspes in 326 BC in what is now modern Pakistan and is buried in Jalalpur Sharif outside of Jhelum, Pakistan.

Fact #3 - In 336 B.C. his father Philip was assassinated, and Alexander the Great became ruler of Macedonia.

Philip was assassinated in a crowded courtyard where he was celebrating the marriage of his daughter. His killer was actually one of his seven bodyguards. The reason behind the murder is still unclear to this day.

Fact #4 - Alexander Always carried the book the Iliad with him.

The Iliad was given to Alexander by his mentor Aristotle. Alexander kept it under his pillow every night.

Julius Caesar was a Roman military and political leader. He played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. Unfortunately for him, the Senate wasn’t too happy about that and they ultimately assassinated Caesar.

Fact #1 - Caesar went to Rhodes to study oratory, but on his way he was captured by pirates whom he charmed and seemingly befriended. After he was freed, he had the pirates executed.

If anyone would know something about double-crossing it would be pirates. I can’t believe they would befriend someone they captured. Morons! Imagine how history would have turned out if Caesar was murdered by the pirates and never became a Roman emperor?

Fact #2 - In 44 B.C. conspirators claiming they feared Caesar was aiming to become king assassinated Caesar on the Ides of March.

Julius Caesar was assassinated because Senators wanted to restore a normal running of the Republic. They feared Caesar was too power hungry and centralized the government… The results of his assassination were another Roman Civil War

Fact #3 - Caesar’s living son, Caesarion, was an Egyptian, the son of Queen Cleopatra, so Caesar adopted a great nephew, Octavian, in his will. Octavian was to become the first Roman emperor, Augustus.

How often in history has a blood-son of an emperor been passed over for a great nephew? That has to be rare. And talk about having issues growing up. Caesarion, who had his father’s name, couldn’t follow in his legacy. Poor Caesarion was probably picked on a lot growing up.

Ancient Egyptians are some of the most mysterious people in all of history. Ancient Egypt was the most advanced civilization of its time. Find out several interesting facts about this group of people.

Fact #1 - Ancient Egyptians used slabs of stones as pillows.

Because there were very few trees in the region, Egyptians could not use grass, hay, or bark to make pillows. Stone was in abundance, so that is what they used. Although, I’m not quite sure why they didn’t create a bag of sand and use that as a pillow.

Fact #2 - 3000 years ago, most Egyptians were considered old and died by the age of 30.

This fact refers to the working poor man. The stresses put on his life were great and took a hard toll on the body. Some of the wealthier people would live a little longer. In fact, making it past the age of 40 was seen as a special blessing and those who did so were rewarded with a stipend from the government.

Fact #3 - In ancient Egypt, people shaved eyebrows as a mourning symbol when their cats died.

In Ancient Egypt, the cat was a scared animal. Actually, all animals were respected and revered, but cats were more special. Not only did Egyptians mourn the death of their cats, but they also mummified them and put bowls of milk in their tombs.

For visitor information about the pyramids please visit Pyramids of Giza.

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the same day, July 4, 1826. This day also happened to be the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a document Thomas Jefferson authored.

After George Washington retired from the Presidency, John Adams became President and Thomas Jefferson became Vice-President. The two men had disagreed politically throughout the Washington Administration, and were only both elected because in those days, whomever came in second in the Presidential vote became Vice-President. During the Adams Administration, the two differed on almost every issue, and Jefferson defeated Adams and took the Presidency in 1800. To make a long story short, although they had worked together in the cause for independence, Adams and Jefferson became truly bitter enemies when political parties began to form around each of them.

Luckily, Adams and Jefferson reconciled in their retirement and they became the absolute best of friends as they lived out their final years. Both men were conscious of living to see the fiftieth Fourth of July, and both, despite knowing they were on their death beds, made genuine efforts to hang on to dear life until the day had come.

John Adams’s final words were (supposedly), “Thomas Jefferson survives.” But he was wrong. Jefferson had died just hours earlier at Monticello.

Five years to the day after Adams and Jefferson died — on July 4, 1831 — the fifth President, James Monroe, passed away. So three presidents have died on the same date: July 4th.