Washington Elected Unanimously: First President Chosen
Washington accepted a $25,000 annual salary only after Congress urged him to do so, ensuring the presidency remained open to citizens without independent wealth rather than becoming the exclusive domain of the ultra-rich. His careful selection of the title "Mr. President" and his refusal to seek a third term cemented republican traditions that prevented the office from sliding into European-style monarchy while establishing the two-term limit still respected today.
February 4, 1789
237 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on February 4
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Septimius Severus died at Eboracum while readying his legions for a final push against the Caledonians. His passing left the Roman Empire in the hands of his fe…
Yazid ibn Abi Sufyan commanded 3,000 cavalry against a Christian Arab garrison near Gaza. The defenders were Ghassanids — Arabs who'd fought for Byzantium for g…
Zhao Kuangyin's troops staged a mutiny and draped a yellow robe over him while he slept. That was the story anyway. He'd been a general for the six-year-old emp…
Zhao Kuangyin's troops got him drunk, dressed him in yellow robes while he slept, and declared him emperor when he woke up. He hadn't planned a coup. His office…
A massive earthquake shattered the Ionian coast of Sicily, leveling Catania and claiming tens of thousands of lives. The disaster forced a complete reconstructi…
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