The Founding Fathers of the United States have been remembered in history books, but there are some facts about them that you may not have heard before. Some of these facts are so amazing that you may not believe them—but they’re all true! Let’s take a look at some of the lesser-known and surprising facts about our past presidents that you probably didn’t know.
The Founding Fathers of the United States have been remembered in history books, but there are some facts about them that you may not have heard before. Some of these facts are so amazing that you may not believe them—but they’re all true! Let’s take a look at some of the lesser-known and surprising facts about our past presidents that you probably didn’t know.
George Washington Had Fake Teeth Made From Elephant and Walrus Tusks
This is one of the most famous stories about George Washington—that he had his dentures made from ivory tusks from elephants and walruses! But it’s true! In fact, Washington only had one natural tooth remaining when he was inaugurated as President in 1789. He needed to replace them with something, so he decided to try out various materials, including hippopotamus ivory, lead, and even human teeth taken from corpses. Eventually, he settled on ivory tusks for his false teeth and got dentures made for him in Philadelphia by a dentist named John Greenwood.
Thomas Jefferson Once Grew Over 330 Different Types of Vegetables
Thomas Jefferson was known to be quite the gardener; he spent much of his time growing fruits and vegetables at his estate in Virginia. While other presidents were content with a few rows of tomatoes or corn here and there, Jefferson went above and beyond by cultivating over 330 different types of vegetables! He even grew things like artichokes, okra, eggplant, peppers, squash, cucumbers—all kinds of vegetables! And if it wasn’t enough that he grew them himself—he also had an extensive cataloging system where he recorded each vegetable variety along with its growth patterns and characteristics. Amazing!
Abraham Lincoln Used to Earn Extra Money by Wrestling
Before Abraham Lincoln became president in 1861, he was just a man trying to make ends meet. To supplement his income while living in Illinois as a young adult, Lincoln often took part in wrestling matches against other local men for money. In fact, it’s said that during this time period Lincoln won roughly 300 matches out of the more than 500 bouts that he competed in! Talk about impressive!
Our Founding Fathers truly lived extraordinary lives—and we can learn so much from their stories today! From George Washington’s fake teeth to Thomas Jefferson’s massive garden to Abraham Lincoln’s impressive wrestling record—these men accomplished quite an incredible feat during their lifetimes…and yet many people still don’t know about these unbelievable facts about our past U.S. presidents! We should never forget the legacy left behind by these great leaders who shaped history as we know it today – now more than ever before we need strong leadership just like theirs!