Washington's teeth decaying from 1760
Washington's teeth were already decaying as early as 1760, long before the war, and by 1789 he had just one working tooth remaining.
Snapshot · The Rest Is History
683. Washington: Hero of the Revolution (Part 1)
Explore episode
Jun 28, 2026
Where this was said
Washington the Man: Character, Origins, and the Marble Facade
At 15:05 · chapter starts 10:20
Drawing on Ron Chernow's prize-winning biography, Dominic introduces Washington as the most elusive figure in American history — more revered than truly loved, an impossibly stiff figure carved from marble. Tom Holland then delivers perhaps the best anecdote in the episode: Alexander Hamilton's bet that Gouverneur Morris would not dare slap Washington on the shoulder [1] — Tom Holland "The icy quality of Washington's stare as he greeted this slap on the shoulder was so terrifying that he would not do it again for a thousan…" 11:16 . Morris did it; Washington's icy glare was so terrifying that Morris vowed he would not repeat the act for a thousand dinners. Dominic then builds a physical portrait of the man: 6 feet tall, hugely powerful, hands so large he had special gloves made, a thin breathy voice (caused by pleurisy — 'he speaks like Marilyn Monroe'), and teeth rotting from as early as 1760. The cherry tree story is immediately labelled a lie, invented by the wonderfully named Parson Weems — a recurring villain in Washington mythology who 'basically goes around making stuff up.' The key to Washington, Chernow argues and Dominic agrees, is his extraordinary self-discipline: a man of fierce hot passions and a volcanic temper, all kept under glacial, inflexible control.
The Shoulder Slap: Washington's Terrifying Stare
Alexander Hamilton bet Gouverneur Morris a dinner that Morris wouldn't dare slap Washington on the shoulder. Morris did it. The icy quality of Washington's stare was so terrifying that Morris said he would not do it again for a thousand dinners. The dinner must have been ruined.
Who Was George Washington? The Man Behind the Marble
Washington wasn't the saintly monument he became. He was a 6-foot Virginian with enormous hands, terrible teeth, a thin breathy voice, a ferocious suppressed temper, and a deep chip on his shoulder after being denied a royal commission. The marble exterior was real — but so was the man inside it.
Washington's height: 6 feet
Washington stood 6 feet tall, exceptionally large by 1740s standards, with a powerful frame and hands so large he needed specially made gloves.
The Cherry Tree and the Kneeling General: America's Fake Founding Myths
The cherry tree story is a lie. The kneeling-in-the-snow scene is a lie. Both were invented by a single man — Parson Weems — who made a career of fabricating Washington hagiography. Reagan repeated them with gusto; historians have been trying to undo the damage ever since.
Similar snapshots
CISO role first held by Steve Katz
Joel de la Garza noted that the CISO role is a relatively recent invention, with Steve Katz widely credited as the first-ever CISO.
Electricity parallel: 6% vs 3x productivity
Superficial adoption of electricity gave factories only 6% efficiency gains; fully redesigning factories around it delivered a 3x productivity improvement that powered 20th-century US growth.
Caddyshack: cast did drugs every day on set
Harold Ramis recounted that during Caddyshack filming, storms kept the cast cooped up in a Florida hotel for days, during which they partied and did drugs all day and night.
China was 25% of global output in 1820s
In the 1820s, China accounted for 25% of global economic output, making it the world's largest economic machine — a historical precedent for its current AI superpower ambitions.
444 days hostage crisis
66 Americans held hostage at the US Embassy in Iran were released after 444 days, within hours of Reagan's inauguration.
508 TOW missiles sent to Iran
In the first round of the secret arms deal, 508 TOW missiles were transferred from Israel to Iran in exchange for hostage releases.
2,000 missiles in 8 shipments
America secretly transferred 2,000 missiles and missile parts to Iran across 8 separate shipments over just over a year.
Only 3 of 7 hostages released
Despite all the missile sales, only 3 of the 7 American hostages held by Lebanese terrorists were ultimately released.
Plane shot down at 2,500 feet in daylight
The CIA supply plane that blew open the scandal was flying at only 2,500 feet in broad daylight when it was shot down on October 5, 1986.
