George Washington thought of him almost like a son, and enough Americans thought enough of the passionate Frenchman to name (or re-name) their towns after him. Fayetteville, N.C., was the first town in America to honor the Marquis de Lafayette in this way.
This year marks Lafayette's 250th birthday.
"An outpouring of emotion swept a young nation in 1824 and 1825 when the Marquis de Lafayette toured America as the nation's guest," writes the Associated Press.
"In an age when news traveled by the fastest horse, people hungered for reports of Lafayette's visit and the elaborate celebrations in honor of the Frenchman who fought for America in the Revolutionary War.
"Two centuries later, a touch of Lafayette fever is back. Cities and towns across the country are celebrating his 250th birthday."
Fayetteville is "commemorating Lafayette's visit on March 4, 1825, a whirlwind 24 hours of banquets, military drills and reunions with former comrades such as Isham Blake, Lafayette's fifer and bodyguard at Yorktown.
"It's a birthday party for a man who once said, 'Serving America is to my heart an inexpressible happiness.'
Read here for more about Fayetteville's events.
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