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喬治‧華盛頓，出生於1732年2月22日
有關華盛頓生日的線索，藏在1790年湯比亞斯利爾的信中，他是華盛頓的祕書也是密友。利爾寫著總統的生日是「舊曆」的2月11日，「舊曆」指的是華盛頓出生時，使用的朱裡安年曆；但朱裡安年曆在1752年被格列哥裡曆法修正過，所以華盛頓的生日，從原來曆法的1731年2月11日，經修正後成為正確的1732年2月22日。
像利爾這樣的信件，在18世紀的美國，是最主要的溝通工具。有些重要到人們會把它編列成冊、按時間排序，由寫信寄信雙方相互留下複本，收藏和保存。在21世紀，人們要到信件還是電子郵件，才能找到重要線索呢？
A clue to George Washington's birth date is found in this 1790 letter by Tobias Lear, Washington's secretary and close friend. Lear wrote that the president's "birth day" was on the 11th February Old Style. By "Old Style," Lear meant the Julian Calendar, the calendar in use when Washington was born. When the Julian Calendar was "corrected" to the Gregorian Calendar in 1752, Washington's birth date and year moved from February 11, 1731, to February 22, 1732.
Letters such as Lear's were an important form of communication in 18th century America. They were so important that people sometimes kept letter books, large bound volumes used to hold copies of the letters they both received and wrote. What clues and information about the 21st century might people find in your letters or e-mails?
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