Winning a war of independence and fathering a country have secured George Washington’s reputation for greatness. But our first president now stands accused of a violating a sacred public trust: He checked out library books and never returned them .
Librarians in New York’s oldest library have uncovered a surprising borrower with overdue books: George Washington.
The first president of the United States of America borrowed two books from the New York Society Library in 1789 but failed to return them.
Adjusted for inflation, he has since racked up $300,000 (£195,000) in fines for being some 220 years late.
The New York Society Library says it will not pursue the fine. It would simply like the books back.
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