Press Backgrounders Index

U.S. Presidential Visits to Domestic Mosques

Dates, locations, and the full text of speeches given by presidents while visiting domestic mosques.

White House Christmas Traditions

From nineteenth-century celebrations to the extravagant décor and parties of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the White House is full of rich Christmas traditions during the holiday season.

White House Christmas Trees

The first Christmas tree in the White House was placed in the Second Floor Oval Room in 1889.

White House Dimensions

Basic numbers and facts about the White House and its rooms.

White House Ghost Stories

As a home with a history dating back to 1800, the White House has its fair share of supernatural stories.

White House State Dining Room

The State Dining Room, which now seats as many as 140 guests, was originally much smaller and served at various times as a drawing room, office, and Cabinet Room. Not until the Andrew Jackson administration was it called the “State Dining Room,” although previous Presidents had used it for formal dinners.

White House Weddings

Weddings bring sentimental joy to families, and the same is true for weddings of first families at the White House. White House weddings have long fascinated the public, and many Americans have closely followed along with the festivities.

Winter Holidays at the White House

A History of Celebrations, the National Christmas Tree Lighting, and Decorations