Abigail Smith Adams, 1797-1801
Wife of John Adams
November 11, 1744 - October 28, 1818
Became first lady at age 52
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Dolley Payne Todd Madison, 1809-1817
Wife of James Madison
May 20, 1768 - July 12, 1849
Became first lady at age 40
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 1825-1829
Wife of John Quincy Adams
February 12, 1775 - May 15, 1852
Became first lady at age 50
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Sarah Yorke Jackson, 1831-1837
Daughter-in-law of Andrew Jackson
July 16, 1803 - August 23, 1887
Became first lady at age 31
Courtesy of White House Historical Association
(White House Collection)
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Anna Symmes Harrison, 1841
Wife of William Henry Harrison
July 25, 1775 - February 25, 1864
Became first lady at age 65
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Julia Gardiner Tyler, 1844-1845
Second wife of John Tyler
May 4, 1820 - July 10, 1889
Became first lady at age 24
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Betty Taylor Bliss, 1849-1850
Daughter of Zachary Taylor
April 20, 1824 - July 25, 1909
Became first lady at age 24
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Jane Appleton Pierce, 1853-1857
Wife of Franklin Pierce
March 12, 1806 - December 2, 1863
Became first lady at age 46
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Mary Todd Lincoln, 1861-1865
Wife of Abraham Lincoln
December 13, 1818 - July 16, 1882
Became first lady at age 42
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Julia Dent Grant, 1869-1877
Wife of Ulysses Grant
January 26, 1826 - December 14, 1902
Became first lady at age 43
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Lucretia Rudolph Garfield, 1881
Wife of James Garfield
April 19, 1832 - March 14, 1918
Became first lady at age 48
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Frances Folsom Cleveland, 1886-1889, 1893-1897
Wife of Grover Cleveland
July 21, 1864 - October 29, 1947
Became first lady at age 21
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Ida Saxton McKinley, 1897-1901
Wife of William McKinley
June 8, 1847 - May 26, 1907
Became first lady at age 49
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Helen Herron Taft, 1909-1913
Wife of William Taft
June 2, 1861 - May 22, 1943
Became first lady at age 47
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, 1915-1921
Second wife of Woodrow Wilson
October 15, 1872 - December 28, 1961
Became first lady at age 43
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Grace Goodhue Coolidge, 1923-1929
Wife of Calvin Coolidge
January 3, 1879 - July 8, 1957
Became first lady at age 44
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Eleanor Roosevelt, 1933-1945
Wife of Franklin Roosevelt
October 11, 1884 - November 7, 1962
Became first lady at age 48
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Mamie Doud Eisenhower, 1953-1961
Wife of Dwight Eisenhower
November 14, 1896 - November 1, 1979
Became first lady at age 56
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Lady Bird Taylor Johnson, 1963-1969
Wife of Lyndon Johnson
December 22, 1912 - July 11, 2007
Became first lady at age 50
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Betty Bloomer Ford, 1974-1977
Wife of Gerald Ford
April 8, 1918 - July 8, 2011
Became first lady at age 56
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Nancy Davis Reagan, 1981-1989
Wife of Ronald Reagan
July 6, 1921 - March 6, 2016
Became first lady at age 59
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Hillary Rodham Clinton, 1993-2001
Wife of Bill Clinton
October 26, 1947 -
Became first lady at age 45
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Michelle Robinson Obama, 2009-present
Wife of Barack Obama
January 17, 1964 -
Became first lady at age 45
Courtesy of the White House
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Martha Dandridge Custis Washington, 1789-1797
Wife of George Washington
June 2, 1731 - May 22, 1802
Became first lady at age 57
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Emily Donelson, 1829-1831
Niece of Andrew Jackson
June 1, 1807 - December 19, 1836
Became first lady at age 21
Courtesy of White House Historical Association
(White House Collection)
Martha Jefferson Randolph, 1801-1809
Daughter of Thomas Jefferson
September 27, 1772 - October 10, 1836
Became first lady at age 28
Angelica Singleton Van Buren, 1839-1841
Daughter-in-law of Martin Van Buren
February 13, 1818 - December 29, 1877
Became first lady at age 21
Courtesy of White House Historical Association
(White House Collection)
Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, 1817-1825
Wife of James Monroe
June 30, 1768 - September 23, 1830
Became first lady at age 48
Letitia Christian Tyler, 1841-1842
First wife of John Tyler
November 12, 1790 - September 10, 1842
Became first lady at age 50
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Sarah Childress Polk, 1845-1849
Wife of James Polk
September 4, 1803 - August 14, 1891
Became first lady at age 41
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Martha Johnson Patterson, 1865-1869
Daughter of Andrew Johnson
October 25, 1828 - July 10, 1901
Became first lady at age 36
Courtesy of Andrew Johnson National Historic Site,
Greeneville, Tennessee
Abigail Powers Fillmore, 1850-1853
Wife of Millard Fillmore
March 13, 1798 - March 30, 1853
Became first lady at age 52
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Lucy Webb Hayes, 1877-1881
Wife of Rutherford Hayes
August 28, 1831 - June 25, 1889
Became first lady at age 45
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Harriet Lane, 1857-1861
Niece of James Buchanan
May 9, 1830 - July 3, 1903
Became first lady at age 26
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Mary Arthur McElroy, 1881-1885
Sister of Chester Arthur
July 5, 1841 - January 8, 1917
Became first lady at age 40
Courtesy of White House Historical Association
(White House Collection)
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Caroline Scott Harrison, 1889-1892
Wife of Benjamin Harrison
October 1, 1832 - October 25, 1892
Became first lady at age 56
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Florence Kling Harding, 1921-1923
Wife of Warren Harding
August 15, 1860 - November 21, 1924
Became first lady at age 60
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Edith Carow Roosevelt, 1901-1909
Second wife of Theodore Roosevelt
August 6, 1861 - September 30, 1948
Became first lady at age 39
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Lou Henry Hoover, 1929-1933
Wife of Herbert Hoover
March 29, 1874 - January 7, 1944
Became first lady at age 54
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Ellen Axson Wilson, 1913-1914
First wife of Woodrow Wilson
May 15, 1860 - August 6, 1914
Became first lady at age 52
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Bess Wallace Truman, 1945-1953
Wife of Harry Truman
February 13, 1885 - October 18, 1982
Became first lady at age 60
Courtesy of Library of Congress
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Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy, 1961-1963
Wife of John Kennedy
July 28, 1929 - May 19, 1994
Became first lady at age 31
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Barbara Pierce Bush, 1989-1993
Wife of George H. W. Bush
June 8, 1925 -
Became first lady at age 63
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Patricia Ryan Nixon, 1969-1974
Wife of Richard Nixon
March 16, 1912 - June 22, 1993
Became first lady at age 56
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Laura Welch Bush, 2001-2009
Wife of George W. Bush
November 4, 1946 -
Became first lady at age 54
Courtesy of Library of Congress
Rosalynn Smith Carter, 1977-1981
Wife of Jimmy Carter
August 18, 1927 -
Became first lady at age 49
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Who Is a
First Lady?
Every president has had an official hostess. If he was a bachelor or widower or if his wife was unable or uninterested, he chose another female family member to preside at his parties and receptions. Daughters, daughters-in-law, nieces, and even family friends have served as the White House hostess. It was not until the mid-19th century that we settled on the unofficial title of "first lady."
What will happen when the President is a Woman?
She will have to reconsider the duties of the first lady and whether she expects her husband, a family member, or others to assume this role in her administration.