Today former U.S. president George H.W. Bush celebrates his 90th birthday.
Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
He is known for his funky sock collection, but there’s much more to the former president than crazy footwear.
1. In 1943, Bush was the youngest pilot in the Navy at the time.
Navy pilot George Bush sits in a VT-51 Avenger in 1944. (Photo: George Bush Presidential Library/MCT)
2. During World War II, he flew 58 combat missions for the Navy.
Bush as a United States Navy pilot seated in the cockpit of an Avenger. (Photo: White House via CNP/ABACAUSA.COM)
3. …and was awarded three Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service.
Photo: Newscom
4. In college, he was captain of the Yale University baseball team and played in the first two College World Series.
A young Bush with Babe Ruth in 1948. (Photo: National Archives via pingnews)
5. In July 2013, Bush shaved his head to honor the son of one of his Secret Service agents, who was suffering from leukemia.
Photo: Office of George Bush via YouTube
6. He is the second president to be the father of another U.S. president. (John Adams was the first.)
Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush deliver remarks to the crew during a ceremony aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush. (Photo: Official U.S. Navy Page)
7. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Bush and former president Bill Clinton formed the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund to help victims in Louisiana.
Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
8. In 1999, he celebrated his 75th birthday by skydiving.
Bush jumps with the United States Army Golden Knights Parachute Team at the Bush Presidential Library near Houston, Texas on June 13, 2004 to celebrate his his 80th birthday. His jump was witnessed by 4,000 people including Actor and martial-arts expert Chuck Norris and Fox News Washington commentator Brit Hume. Both also participated in celebrity tandem jumps as part of the event. Bush made the jump harnessed to Staff Sergeant Bryan Schell of the Golden Knights. Bush was reportedly contemplating a free-fall jump, but officials said the wind conditions and low cloud cover made it too risky. Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was also on site. He was reportedly invited by Bush to join the jump, but said he had never parachuted and was too old to start. (Photo: Photo by US Army via CNP/ABACAUSA.COM)
9. Five years later, he did it again.
Bush smiles after completing a tandem parachute for his 80th birthday on June 13, 2004. (Photo: TODAYshow via Twitter)
10. Five years after that, at 85, he celebrated the same way.
A photo displayed at one of Bush’s favorite restaurants in Texas. (Photo: Otto’s Deluxe Grille)
11. Today, at 90 years old, he went for a birthday skydive for the fourth time.
Bush lands after making a parachute jump on his 90th birthday. (Photo: The Eagle via Twitter)
Jenna Bush Hager gives her grandfather a big hug before his 90th birthday jump. (Photo: ktro21 via Twitter)
12. While vice president for Ronald Reagan, Bush acted as president for eight hours while President Reagan was in surgery after being shot.
Ronald Reagan & George H. W. Bush on the cover of Time magazine in 1984. (Photo: Cliff via Flickr/Republican Encore/Dirck Halstead)
13. His family’s springer spaniel, Millie, was once referred to as “the most famous dog in White House history.” Millie’s room was once Nancy Reagan’s beauty parlor.
Bush walks onto the White House lawn with Millie and her new puppies. (Photo: U.S. Embassy Jakarta Flickr)
14. He doesn’t like broccoli. “I do not like broccoli,” the President said in response to questions about his “broccoli ban” aboard Air Force One, “And I haven’t liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I’m President of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli!”
Bush waves while disembarking from Air Force One for an official visit to China. (Photo: Newscom)
