George Washington was born on February 22nd, 1732. Not only was he the first American action hero, he was the first person in history to turn down supreme power over most of a continent. At the end of the Revolutionary War, Washington was offered the opportunity to become king. In that pivotal moment, he took out something few had seen him wear, a pair of spectacles. “Gentlemen,” said Washington, “you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for I have not only grown gray but almost blind in the service of my country.” By the time he was done making the point that he and and his staff had not spent their lives and fortunes to establish another monarchy, but to give a birth to freedom, those calling for his kingship were reduced to tears…and thus ended what would otherwise have been a coup d’tetat. He is celebrated in the documentary George Washington: The Man Who Wouldn’t Be King.