George Washington received a posthumous General of the Armies appointment during the 1976 Bicentennial.
Congress passed Public Law 94–479 in 1976, providing that Washington would hold the rank of General of the Armies of the United States. The appointment took effect on July 4, 1976, the bicentennial of the Declaration of Independence.
Washington had commanded the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later became the first president of the United States. The bicentennial appointment recognized his military leadership and placed him first in rank among American Army officers, past and present.
The honor was conferred after Washington’s death, so it was not a normal promotion received during an active career. John J. Pershing is the other person associated with the five-star-equivalent title, but Washington’s appointment was specifically made as a commemorative bicentennial act.