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Martha Washington (1786-1797) -

Wife of George Washington, Martha Washington was the first ever first lady and the last woman to appear on paper currency, until Harriet Tubman on the US$20 bill in 2020. Washington was found on the one-dollar banknote in 1886 and 1891. 

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Abigail Adams (1797-1801) -

President John Adams had some close competition for his job: his wife, Abigail Adams. Far from the traditional first lady of the time, she was known for her sharp tongue and vast political knowledge, which made many refer to her as "Mrs President."

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Martha Jefferson (1801-1809) -

As a wedding gift, President Thomas Jefferson bought his new bride a piano for their home. The couple were known for playing duets, and Martha Jefferson would often accompany her husband as he played the violin. 

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Dolley Madison (1809-1817) -

Thanks to Dolley Madison, ice cream became a regular feature at the end of White House dinners. She's also remembered for saving a rare painting of George Washington before British troops set fire to the White House in 1814.

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Elizabeth Monroe (1817-1825) -

Due to her beauty and fashionable appearance, Mrs. James Monroe was nicknamed La Belle Americaine in France. And thanks to her French connections, she helped save the life of Adrienne de Lafayette, wife of revolutionary Marquis de Lafayette, during the French Revolution. 

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Louisa Adams (1825-1829) -

Born and raised in London, Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, was the first first lady born in a foreign country. She also practiced a number of quirky hobbies, such as playing the harp, writing satirical plays, and raising silkworms. 

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Anna Harrison (1841) -

Since William Henry Harrison passed away just one month after taking office, Anna Harrison had the shortest career as a first lady in history. In fact, she was even too ill to join him at the White House, so she never saw the inside of the residence. 

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Letitia Tyler (1841-1842) -

After having only attended one White House function, Letitia Tyler, wife of President John Tyler, died of a paralytic stroke. She was the first ever first lady to die in the White House. 

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Julia Tyler (1844-1845) -

President John Tyler’s second wife, Julia Tyler, introduced the polka dance to Washington ballrooms. And, on top of that, she was also known to drive a coach of matching white Arabian horses. 

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Sarah Polk (1845-1849) -

A drastic turn from her cheery predecessor, Julia Tyler, Sarah Polk was known in D.C. for her ban on hard liquor in the White House. This gave her the nickname of "Sahara Sarah." 

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Margaret Taylor (1849-1850) -

Margaret Taylor was a true army wife, who learned how to shoot a gun while living with her husband, Zachary Taylor, on the Western frontier.

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Abigail Fillmore (1850-1853) -

A former teacher and wife of President Millard Fillmore, Abigail Fillmore applied US$2,000 in Congressional funding to create the White House library. Today, it's believed to hold over two million books. 

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Jane Pierce (1853-1857) -

Jane Pierce was extremely reluctant to move into the White House. Before her husband Franklin Pierce became president, she prayed every night that he would lose the presidential election.

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Mary Todd Lincoln (1861-1865) -

Who hasn't heard that opposites attract? Well, the 5’2 (157 cm) Mary Todd Lincoln was married to the 6’4 (193 cm) Abraham Lincoln. Talk about a height difference! 

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Eliza Johnson (1865-1869) -

Originally from Tennessee, Eliza Johnson didn't want to trade her southern roots for the east coast. Instead, she brought her cows to the White House.

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Julia Grant (1869-1877) -

On the night of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, the Grants were also invited to join them at the Ford Theater. However, Julia Grant was suspicious of the man who delivered their invitation, and convinced her husband to visit their children in New York instead.

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Lucy Hayes (1877-1881) -

When children were forbidden to roll Easter eggs on Capital ground, Lucy Hayes permitted them to use the White House lawn instead, which officially started the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll. 

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Lucretia Garfield (1881) -

An active feminist, Lucretia Garfield once wrote an essay for her college’s magazine in favor of equal pay for women. She also demanded that the female physician who aided the dying President James Garfield be paid the same amount as the male physicians.

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Frances Cleveland (1886-1889) and (1893-1897) -

At the age of 21, Grover Cleveland’s wife holds the record for being the youngest first lady as well as the only bride of a sitting president to give birth in the White House. 

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Caroline Harrison (1889-1892) -

Caroline Harrison established the tradition of choosing special White House dinnerware. Ever since, each first lady chooses a different pattern. 

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Ida McKinley (1897-1901) -

While Ida McKinley was ill and bedridden during her husband’s presidency, she crocheted over 3,500 slippers for various charities. They came in two colors, Confederate gray and Union blue.

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Edith Roosevelt (1901-1909) -

Edith Roosevelt was against Prohibition and always requested that cocktails be served at her parties in the White House.

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Helen Taft (1909-1913) -

Helen Taft is responsible for the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. After she visited Japan in 1912 with her husband, William Howard Taft, the mayor of Tokyo sent her 3,000 cherry tree saplings, which now bloom each spring across the US capital.

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Edith Wilson (1915-1921) -

A descendant of Pocahontas, Edith Wilson also had her ancestor's adventurous flair. Before marrying Woodrow, she bought her own car and was often seen driving around Washington, D.C. 

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Florence Harding (1921-1923) -

When she wasn't busy with her official duties as first lady, Florence Harding served as White House bartender for her husband’s poker parties. Despite Prohibition laws, the presidential couple always had a big supply of alcohol. 

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Grace Coolidge (1923-1929) -

A true baseball fanatic, Grace Coolidge was so devoted to the Boston Red Sox that she was even invited to sit in the dugout with the team. 

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Louise Hoover (1929-1933) -

Ardent world travelers, the Hoovers once found themselves involved with China’s Boxer Rebellion in 1899. Louise Hoover reportedly even built protective barricades and transported supplies to the front line via bicycle.

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Eleanor Roosevelt (1933-1945) -

In 1933, Eleanor Roosevelt made history as the first ever first lady to fly in an airplane. During a White House dinner, she snuck out with famed aviator Amelia Earhart, and together they commandeered an airplane.

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Bess Truman (1945-1953) -

Homesick of her native state of Missouri and not a fan of the dry cleaning in Washington, D.C., Bess Truman would send her laundry all the way to Kansas City. 

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Mamie Eisenhower (1953-1961) -

Mamie Eisenhower loved the color pink so much that a shade of pink was designed specifically for her. Named “First Lady Pink” or “Mamie Pink,” it became the most iconic shade of the '50s. 

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Jacqueline Kennedy (1961-1963) -

Before becoming a pop and fashion icon, Jacqueline Kennedy won an Emmy Award in 1962 for her televised tour of the White House, on which she spent over US$50,000 in renovations. That's the equivalent of nearly US$400,000 today.

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Claudia Johnson (1963-1969) -

While her husband was in office, Claudia Johnson, nicknamed Lady Bird, supported a highway beautification project that resulted in miles of wildflowers that still grow on highway medians today. 

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Pat Nixon (1969-1974) -

A rebel against convention, Pat Nixon was the first first lady to wear pants in public, a highly unusual choice at the time. 

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Betty Ford (1974-1977) -

Betty Ford was such a reluctant first lady that on her husband’s last day in office, she gleefully tapped danced on the Cabinet room’s conference table.

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Rosalynn Carter (1977-1981) -

Rosalynn Carter was politically active during her White House years. Married to Jimmy Carter, she was his adviser and would often sit in on Cabinet meetings. 

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Nancy Reagan (1981-1989) -

Just like her husband, Nancy Reagan also worked in Hollywood before moving into the White House. Before becoming the first lady, she starred in 11 feature films. 

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Barbara Bush (1989-1993) -

Barbara Bush was a big supporter of literacy and even wrote a memoir from her dog’s perspective, titled 'Millie’s Book,' which describes a day in the life of the Bush family. The proceeds of the book went to her literacy foundation, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

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Hillary Clinton (1993-2001) -

From first lady to presidential candidate, something that's not commonly known about Hillary Clinton is that she won a Grammy Award for the recording of her 1996 best-selling book, 'It Takes a Village and Other Lessons Children Teach Us.' 

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Laura Bush (2001-2009) -

Before marrying George W. Bush, Laura Bush said she would only do it under one condition: that she would never have to make a campaign speech. However, she soon relented and became an avid campaigner during her husband’s run for office.

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Michelle Obama (2009-2017) -

At 5’11 (180 cm), Michelle Obama is tied with Eleanor Roosevelt for the tallest first lady. And if the Secret Service would ever lose sight of her in a crowd, her code name is “Renaissance.” 

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Dr. Jill Biden (2021- 2024) -

With two master’s degrees along with a doctoral degree, Jill Biden has had a long, successful career in education. While serving as second lady, she even continued teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College.

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Melania Trump (2017-2021) - (2024 - ) -

Besides her native Slovenian, Melania Trump also speaks English, French, Serbian, and German. She's also the second first lady to have been born in another country, after Louisa Adams. 

Sources: (Reader's Digest) (Glamour) (Newsweek)

See also: From Eisenhower to Trump: the inflation rate under each US president

© Regine Mahaux / The White House