12 Fun Facts About 13 Children of the White House

From George and Martha to Barack and Michelle, the presidents of the United States and their first ladies have always had their hands full with political and world issues. It has been no different when it comes to the children of the White House. For these “first kids,” their fathers’ presidency certainly had an impact on their childhood.

Here are some interesting facts about the children that ran the halls of the White House.

1806 – James Madison Randolph, son of Thomas Jefferson’s daughter, Martha Randolph, was the first child born in the White House. Tweet this!

1820 – Maria Hester Monroe, daughter of James Monroe, was the first presidential child to have a wedding at the White House. Tweet this!

1886 – Esther Cleveland, daughter of Grover Cleveland, was the first and only child of a president born in the White House. Tweet this!

1892 – Mary McKee, daughter of Benjamin Harrison, became acting First Lady after her mother passed. She is the most recent First Lady who was not married to the sitting president. Tweet this!

1917 – Helen Taft Manning, daughter of William Howard Taft, became Dean of Bryn Mawr College at only 26. Later she traveled the country as a suffragette, giving speeches in support of women’s rights. Tweet this!

1969 – A photo of Caroline Kennedy, daughter of John F. Kennedy, riding her pony on the White House grounds, inspired singer-songwriter Neil Diamond to write “Sweet Caroline,” which he revealed to her, for her 50th birthday. Tweet this!

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1970s – Julie Nixon, daughter of Richard Nixon, would often give tours of the White House to disabled children. She later married the grandson of Dwight Eisenhower, Dwight David Eisenhower II. Tweet this!

1975 – Susan Ford, daughter of Gerald Ford, held her senior prom in the East Room of the White House. Talk about a party! Tweet this!

1976 – In honor of the U.S. bicentennial, Amy Lynn Carter, daughter of Jimmy Carter, was gifted a rescued elephant, named Shanthi, from Sri Lanka. The elephant was given to the Washington, D.C. National Zoo. Shanthi gave birth in 2001 to a male, Kandula. They both still reside there today! Tweet this!

1993 – Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill Clinton, began taking dance classes at age four. She continued studying at the Washington School of Ballet and performed in a version of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts in Fairfax, Virginia. Tweet this!

 

2001 – Barbara and Jenna Bush, daughters of George W. Bush, were the first twin children of a U.S. president. Tweet this!

2014 – Aspiring filmmaker Malia Obama, daughter of current president Barack Obama, was reported to have been working as a production assistant on set of Halle Berry’s sci-fi series Extant. Tweet this!

 

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Featured Image Credit –The White House / United States Government Works