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George Washington is such a well-known president you probably think there is not much that you don’t know about him.

Well, I hope today to prove you wrong.

Here are 5 facts about George Washington that you probably don’t know:

1. George Washington did not have a middle name

Surprising to some, George Washington did not have a middle name.

 2. George Washington did not attend college

The death of Washington’s father in 1743 ended George’s formal education. Unlike his father and two older half-brothers, lack of money prevented the boy from studying in England, and unlike many of the Founding Fathers, Washington did not attend college. Always sensitive to this lack of formal education, Washington embarked upon a lifelong pursuit of self-education. Washington was an avid reader and was continually seeking the latest texts on a variety of subjects ranging from military arts to agriculture and political topics.

3. Washington was known as an energetic and excellent dancer

Dancing was considered an important part of the social fabric of 18th century life. And as George Washington’s social stature began to rise, the number of balls, cotillions, parties, and dances he was invited to also rose considerably. Young Washington, blessed with an athletic frame, quickly came to love dancing and there are many accounts of his dancing throughout the night with an array of female guests.

4. Washington came to own tens of thousands of acres in North America

George Washington became one of the largest land holders in the United States at the time. Not only did Washington own 8,000 acres at Mount Vernon, but through numerous land transactions and land bounties, Washington owned more than 50,000 acres in the western portions of Virginia and what is now West Virginia, as well as in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Kentucky, and the Ohio country. These considerable acquisitions not only made Washington wealthy in terms of his land holdings, but also encouraged his strong interest in the westward expansion of the United States.

5. Washington never occupied the White House

George Washington was the only U.S. President who did not occupy the White House, which was not completed until after his death. During his two terms as president, the U.S. Capital was located first in New York and then in Philadelphia. George Washington played a large role, however, in the development of the new Federal City that was named after him, and in overseeing the design of both the Capitol Building and the White House.

 

Source: Learn other surprising facts from MountVernon.gov.

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