on this day facts April 5th

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY - 5th April

George Washington Special

On this day in history in 1792, President George Washington used his authority as President to veto a bill. It was the first time this power had been used by a President of the United States of America.

 

George Washington was a massive man. Not just in politics and the formation of the United States, but also in himself. He was very tall, one of the tallest Presidents of the USA, at 6 feet and 2 inches, as well as weighing in at over 200 pounds.

 

George Washington wasn't the tallest President. That accolade goes to Abraham Lincoln, the vampire hunter, who stood at 6 feet and 4 inches. The shortest President was James Madison who measured only 5 feet and 4 inches.

 

These measurements do not take into account any presidents who were sitting in a wheelchair.

 

George Washington loved cream of peanut soup, mashed sweet potatoes with coconut, and killing the British. Something he did a lot back in the day.

 

There is a myth going around about George Washington's teeth. For some reason, a lot of Americans think he had wooden teeth.

 

That simply isn't true. It's a myth.

 

The first ever President of the United States of America did have false teeth. But, contrary to popular belief, they weren't wooden.

 

George Washington's teeth were constructed from an assortment of elephant and hippopotamus ivory, donkey and horse teeth, ivory, lead, and even human teeth bought from African-American slaves.

 

Although, upon closer inspection of George Washington's skeletal remains, he may also have had some further modifications.

 

Fun Fact: Even though George Washington helped plan America's new capital city, which would be named after him, he never lived there. Back in Washington's time, New York City was the capital city, and later Philadelphia. 

 

Also in the news: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

On this day in history, 5th April, 1958, the Canadians blew up Ripple Rock, an underwater mountain in the Seymour Narrows of the Discovery Passage in British Columbia, Canada.

 

It was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.

 

Ripple Rock consisted of two peeks, only 9 feet and 21 feet below the surface of the water. It was a marine hazard, not just because ships kept hitting the tips of the mountain, but also due to the dangerous eddies caused by the tidal currents around the rocks.

 

The explosions were meticulously planned and became a National Historic Event in Canada, watched by millions live on television.

 

Over 635,000 tons of rock were blown clear of the mountain and launched to a height of 300 metres.

 

On this day in history in 1916, Gregory Peck was born.

 

Gregory Peck, whose real first name was Eldred, was an iconic American actor who starred in Atticus Finch and To Kill A Mockingbird.

 

On this day in history, April 5th, 1950, Ann C. Crispin was born.

 

Ann Carol Crispin was an American Science Fiction writer, best known for her two Star Trek novels, Yesterday's Son and Time for Yesterday.

 

Ann also created the sci-fi series called Starbridge.

 

Other writers will also know and appreciate Ann Crispin's work in helping them protect themselves against scams and bad literary agents and publishers. Along with her friend and co-founder, Victoria Strauss, she created Writer Beware.

 

Writer Beware was founded in 1998 and provides warnings about literary schemes and scams, along with information on how writers can protect themselves from less than savoury characters and practices in the publishing industry.

 

Writer Beware also provides invaluable advice and news about the publishing industry and general advice for writers.

 

If you're a writer, do check out Writer Beware. It's an essential tool to protect yourselves against dodgy agents and publishers.

 

The Writer Beware blog is located here: http://accrispin.blogspot.co.uk/