First President

[Cincinnatus]

Some historians claim that, John Hanson was the first president of the United States.  I'm certain he had no executive power, other than presiding over congress for ceremonial purposes.  The only time I've heard of him making executive decisions was when soldiers threatened rebellion.  Anyone have any more information or knowledge on this?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

John Hancock was President of Continental Congress (President of the United States In Congress Assembled) at the time of Declaration of Independence.

While he can be count as some kind of head of state, as highest ranking official of the first federal government, the first President of the United States, since I assume you meant this office, is still George Washington. Presidency of the United States was created in 1789.

John Hanson? Well, he was President of the Congress from 1781 to 1782.

[feeblepizza]

George Washington was the first President of the United States under the latest revision of our Constitution. The first document to serve as a constitution for the U.S. was the Articles of Confederation.

[minionofmidas]

Some historians claim that, John Hanson was the first president of the United States.  I'm certain he had no executive power, other than presiding over congress for ceremonial purposes.  The only time I've heard of him making executive decisions was when soldiers threatened rebellion.  Anyone have any more information or knowledge on this?

Bolded for your convenience. A President is a head of state; whether or not he gives orders to the executive (ie, the state bureaucracy) is of secondary import.
The problem though is that the Articles of Confederacy do not actually describe the office of the President of the United States, in Congress Assembled - as, of course, applying modern standards of what constitutes a head of state to the Articles' US is retconning. Such standards do assume that someone is the head of state, if only for ceremonial purposes. If a country today had no President, you'd also be looking to the presiding officer of its parliament.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

President of the Continental Congress can be considered a head of state, due to being, at least ceremonially, the highest-ranking U.S. official, but non-executive one. His powers as presiding officer were limited as well. He was more "first among equals".

If we're considering them as "Presidents" in modern sense (heads of state/highest ranking officials), then why some are regarding Hanson as the first? John Hancock was President when independence was declared.

So, yes, formally John Hancock can be considered the first formal U.S. head of state, but George Washington will always be the first "President of the United States", under U.S. constitution.

If we are looking for some equivalent of "chief executive" (although it's still loose comparison) that would be more Secretary of the Congress.