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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. These visitors ruined the East Room carpet, which, as the Washington
Over the years, White House egg roll events have been made memorable by new attractions. In 1993, the Clintons scaled back the fanfare so that children would remember the day for its egg rolling games. A generation earlier, First Lady Pat Nixon gave out certificates of participation as a souvenir to eggrollers. First Ladies Betty Ford and Rosalynn Carter distributed plastic
The primary Easter Monday entertainment at the White House has always involved egg rolling. Participants roll dyed, hard-boiled eggs across the grass to see whose will go the furthest before cracking. Other egg sports enjoyed in the early years were egg ball, toss and catch, egg croquet and egg picking—a contest where eggs are pecked together until they crack. Af
Welcome to the White House Historical Association's History Happy Hour! We're thrilled to have you join us as a speaker or moderator for our events. Our organization is committed to fostering a non-partisan environment that celebrates the rich history of the White House and its significance in shaping our nation. To ensure that our History Happy Hour remains a respectful
Welcome to the White House Historical Association's History Happy Hour! We're thrilled to have you join our community of history enthusiasts who share a passion for exploring history (and happy hour!) through the lens of the White House. To ensure that our gatherings remain informative, respectful, and non-partisan, we've put together these community guidelines. These guidelines are designed to foster
In partnership with iCivics, the White House Historical Association has co-created a new interactive game that allows players to explore American history and the presidency by serving as a presidential advisor during critical moments in history. With a focus on listening and contextualizing, Brief the Chief introduces students to the variety of voices that influence the president. Throughout the game,
The White House Historical Association is proud to work alongside iCivics, founded by Supreme Court Associate Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. iCivics is the nation’s premier non-profit civic education provider to more than 9 million students across America. Their games have been played over 142.5 million times since launching in 2009. The two organizations have consulted many state standards and collected feedback from
Eleanor Roosevelt served as First Lady of the United States from 1933-1945, profoundly changing the role for the women who followed her. Immediately after the Inauguration, the Roosevelt administration set out to combat the Great Depression. Both the president and the first lady were eager to help the people of the United States in different ways. President Franklin D. Roosevelt
The Iran Hostage Crisis was one of the most important issues of Jimmy Carter’s presidency and likely one of the reasons for his election loss in 1980. But at the beginning of Carter’s presidency, the United States and Iran were allies. Carter called Iran “an island of stability in one of the more troubled areas of the world” during a visit