 You already know George Washington was the first U.S. president. You may have also heard that he had wooden teeth. But the truth is even stranger. His dentures were made partly out of hippopotamus ivory. Washington was a famous general in the American Revolutionary War. He was also extremely rich. He owned thousands of hectares of land. He liked running his farm so much that he insisted he did not want to be president. But he was very popular. Every single one of the country's electors voted for him. Twice. At the end of his second term, Washington voluntarily stepped down. Historian Joseph Ellis says Americans could trust Washington with power because he was so willing to give it up.