#1796

Jack the Ripper (Stage 1) from Fate/Grand Order

"I cannot show anyone the second or third ascensions without getting some weird looks, so first one it is."

So imagine its 1796. We got the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, and the dawn of modern medicine, and George Washington is like "I'm really retiring this time guys". Right?

And you're trying to go down in history as one of the greatest naturalists of all time, like Charles Darwin levels of commitment (minus the rizz and funding). You have decided to kinda focus on bats, which we still largely believe are sky rats at this point in history. You're absolutely busting your ass and getting kinda nowhere. Nobody cares about your stupid bats project.

Then some guy randomly contacts you and is like "I got a new bat. I'm the only one who has one. You're gonna want this." Do you believe them? Oh and BTW...this guy's name is MASTER PANCAKE.

TL;DR: On September 17, 1796, George Washington finished writing his legendary Farewell Address, basically inventing the presidential retirement speech and warning us about political parties (spoiler alert: we didn't listen).

Picture this: It's 1796, and George Washington is sitting at his desk, probably in a powdered wig, crafting what would become the most famous "I'm outta here" letter in American history. On September 17th, he put the finishing touches on his Farewell Address-a masterpiece of political wisdom that reads like a prophet's warning about everything we'd screw up later.

Washington's farewell wasn't just "thanks for the memories, folks." This guy laid down some serious truth bombs about avoiding political factions (hello, modern polarization!) and staying out of foreign entanglements. He basically wrote the playbook for American isolationism while simultaneously creating the tradition of presidents knowing when to quit. Published two days later in a Philadelphia newspaper, it was the 18th-century equivalent of a viral Twitter thread, except with actual substance and zero emoji.

The man who could have been king chose to be a citizen instead, setting a precedent so powerful it lasted until FDR decided four terms sounded nice.

Profile: George Washington