Presidents and the Hey Day of Horse Racing in the Federal City
President Richard M. Nixon was the first sitting president to attend the Kentucky Derby on May 3, 1969. In his party that...
Easter Egg Roll: Easter and the Cleveland East Room
How Long? 1 minute
Library of Congress
In the beginning, children came into the White House with baskets of brightly dyed hard-boiled eggs. On Easter Monday, 1885, young egg rollers marched into the East Room, hoping for a personal audience with President Grover Cleveland. When he came down from his office to greet them, he was charmed, and indoor egg roll receptions became customary. These visitors ruined the East Room carpet, which, as the Washington Post reported, was "ground full of freshly smashed hard-boiled egg and broken egg shells." Still, when Cleveland returned in 1893 for a second, non-consecutive term, he continued to grant the egg rollers carte blanche access to the house and grounds.
Library of Congress
You Might Also Like
-
-
The American Presidents and Shakespeare
On April 23, 1932, Shakespeare-lovers from around the country flocked to Washington, D.C., to attend the dedication of the handsome new...
-
Secret Service and the Presidents
Historian William Seale has described presidential protection as a learning process, with presidents and their families and the Secret Service...
-
Presidents and the Potomac
For the politicians, civil servants, and accompanying citizenry of the new federal government—freshly arrived in 1800 from comfortable, sophisticated Philadelphia—the...
-
Presidents and College Football
Nearly 150 years after its beginnings college football season is in full swing. The sport has attracted countless players and even...
-
Presidents' Day at the White House
Just how does the president celebrate Presidents’ Day? Throughout the more than 200-year history of the White House, presidents themselves ha...
-
Bio John Quincy Adams
Son of a president, John Quincy Adams in many respects paralleled the career as well as the temperament and viewpoints...
-
Bio John Tyler
Dubbed "His Accidency" by his detractors, John Tyler was the first vice president to be elevated to the office of...
-
Bio John Adams
Learned and thoughtful, John Adams was probably more remarkable as a political philosopher than a politician. "People and nations are...
-
Bio James Monroe
James Monroe was perhaps the most qualified citizen ever to serve as president of the United States. Born in 1758 in...
-
Bio James Madison
At his inauguration, James Madison, a small, wizened man, appeared old and worn; Washington Irving described him as "but a...
-
Bio Martin Van Buren
Only about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, but trim and erect, Martin Van Buren dressed fastidiously. His impeccable appearance belied his amiability...