History.com: This Day In History (June 24-1717): 1st Masonic Grand Lodge formed in London

By History.com Editors. On June 24, 1717, members of four local Masonic lodges—all part of a secret society of Masons—meet at the Goose and Gridiron alehouse in London’s St. Paul’s Churchyard to create the first Grand Lodge as their collective governing body. Known initially as the Grand Lodge of London and Westminster, it will evolve

History.com: This Day In History (August 4-1753): George Washington becomes a Master Mason

By History.com Editors. George Washington, a young Virginia planter, becomes a Master Mason, the highest basic rank in the secret fraternity of Freemasonry. The ceremony was held at the Masonic Lodge No. 4 in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Washington was 21 years old and would soon command his first military operation as a major in the Virginia