First ladies are the official hostesses of the White House. From Abigail Adams, Eleanor Roosevelt and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama and Melania Trump, first ladies leave their mark on the presidency — and the United States.
Mamie Eisenhower was first lady of the United States when her husband, Dwight Eisenhower, was president from 1953 to 1961.
Former first lady Barbara Bush was the wife of President George H.W. Bush and mother of President George W. Bush.
When Hillary Clinton was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2001, she became the first American first lady to win a public office seat. In 2016, she became the first woman in U.S. history to become the presidential nominee of a major political party.
Melania Trump is the wife of Donald Trump, who was the 45th president of the United States.
The wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt changed the role of the first lady through her active participation in American politics.
Michelle Obama is a lawyer, writer and the wife of former U.S. President Barack Obama. Prior to her role as first lady, she was a lawyer, Chicago city administrator and community-outreach worker.
Betty Ford became the First Lady when President Nixon resigned and made her Vice President husband, Gerald Ford, the acting President.
Abigail Adams was the wife of President John Adams and the mother of John Quincy Adams, who became the sixth president of the United States.
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Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, noted for her style and elegance, was the wife of President John F. Kennedy and a U.S. first lady. After Kennedy's death, she married Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.
First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln was the wife of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States.
The wife of U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson, Lady Bird Johnson served as first lady from 1963 to 1969.
Nancy Reagan was a former Hollywood actress, the first lady of the United States during President Ronald Reagan's time in office and the founder of the "Just Say No" drug awareness campaign.
Laura Bush is the wife of 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush. She served as the first lady from 2001 to 2009.
Dolley Madison is best known as the wife of United States President James Madison, who served from 1809 to 1817.
First Lady Jill Biden is the wife of Joe Biden, the 46th president of the United States.
Martha Washington was the wife of President George Washington and the original first lady of the United States.
Rosalynn Carter is an American First Lady best known as the wife of President Jimmy Carter during his term from 1977-'81.