Celebrity of the day
George Washington
22 February, 1732
George Washington was born on February 22, 1732, in Virginia; he died on December 14, 1799, at the age of 67; his birth sign was Pisces. During the Revolutionary War, he commanded the Continental Army, and on April 30, 1789, he became the first President of the United States. Lawrence, his older half-brother, utilized personal connections with the Fairfax family to acquire the position as official surveyor for Culpeper County. His achievements as a commander at Valley Forge, Yorktown, and Boston were recognized in 1917 when the asteroid 886 Washingtonia was named in his honor. Despite writing to his friend's wife, he married widow Martha Dandridge Custis in January 1759. He denied the option to run for a third term as president. His vice president, John Adams, was elected president while under his supervision. The Washingtons were a wealthy planter family from Virginia who had built their fortune through land speculation and tobacco production.