Martha Washington To Melania Trump: US First Ladies Through The Ages Since 1789
US First Ladies have played influential roles in American history, hosting dignitaries, championing social causes, promoting culture, and shaping the presidency's public image. Here is the full list.
Since the days of Martha Washington, the role of the First Lady has been an evolving symbol of influence, style, and advocacy in American history. While the Office of the First Lady was only formally recognised during Jimmy Carter’s presidency, the impact of these women has always been felt.
Not all First Ladies were the wives of presidents. At least 13 women who were not presidential spouses have stepped into the role. These women served when the president was a bachelor, widower, or when the president's wife was unable to fulfill the duties herself. Among them were Thomas Jefferson’s daughter Martha Jefferson Randolph, Andrew Jackson’s daughter-in-law Sarah Yorke Jackson, and his wife’s niece Emily Donelson, and Chester A. Arthur’s sister Mary Arthur McElroy. Harriet Lane, James Buchanan’s niece, also became a notable First Lady during his bachelor presidency.
First Ladies have embraced diverse responsibilities, from hosting dignitaries to championing social causes. In times of crisis, such as Mary Lincoln’s Civil War receptions or Nancy Reagan’s diplomacy during the Cold War, they have served as critical partners in shaping the public image of the presidency. Artistic talents also played a role, with women like Caroline Harrison and Jacqueline Kennedy leaving a cultural imprint on the White House.
Their advocacy extends far beyond the walls of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. From Eleanor Roosevelt’s work on New Deal policies to Michelle Obama’s initiatives supporting military families and healthy living, First Ladies have used their platform to address pressing social issues.
Though not all embraced the role — Martha Washington admitted she would rather stay home — others, like Dolley Madison and Jacqueline Kennedy, relished their prominence, becoming icons in their own right.
Here is the full list of US First Ladies since 1789, when the US got its first President.
1789 - 1797: Martha Dandridge Custis Washington (1731-1802), wife of George Washington
1797 - 1801: Abigail Smith Adams (1744 - 1818), wife of John Adams
1801 - 1809: Martha Jefferson Randolph (1772 - 1836), daughter of Thomas Jefferson
1809 - 1817: Dolley Payne Todd Madison (1768 - 1849), wife of James Madison
1817 - 1825: Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (1768 - 1830), wife of James Monroe
1825 - 1829: Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams (1775 - 1852), wife of John Quincy Adams
1829 - 1834: Emily Donelson (1807 - 1836), niece of Andrew Jackson
1834 - 1837: Sarah Jackson (1803 - 1887), daughter-in-law of Andrew Jackson
1839 - 1841: Angelica Van Buren (1818 - 1877), daughter-in-law of Martin Van Buren
1841 - 1841: Anna Tuthill Symmes Harrison (1775 - 1864), wife of William Henry Harrison
1841 - 1842: Letitia Christian Tyler(1790 - 1842), wife of John Tyler
1842 - 1844: Priscilla Tyler (1816 - 1889), daughter-in-law of John Tyler
1844 -1845: Julia Gardiner Tyler (1820 - 1889), wife of John Tyler
1845 - 1849: Sarah Childress Polk (1803 - 1891), wife of James K. Polk
1849 - 1850: Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor (1788 - 1852), wife of Zachary Taylor
1850 - 1853: Abigail Powers Fillmore (1798 - 1853), wife of Millard Fillmore
1853 - 1857: Jane Means Pierce (1806 - 1863), wife of Franklin Pierce
1857 - 1861: Harriet Lane (1830 - 1903), niece of James Buchanan
1861 - 1865: Mary Todd Lincoln (1818 - 1882), wife of Abraham Lincoln
1865 - 1969: Eliza McCardle Johnson (1810 - 1876), wife of Andrew Johnson
1869 - 1877: Julia Grant (1826 - 1902), wife of Ulysses S. Grant
1877 - 1881: Lucy Hayes (1831 - 1889), wife of Rutherford B. Hayes
1881 - 1881: Lucretia Garfield (1832 - 1918), wife of James A. Garfield
1881 - 1885: Mary McElroy (1841 - 1917), sister of Chester A. Arthur
1885 - 1886: Rose Cleveland (1846 - 1918), sister of Grover Cleveland
1886 - 1889: Frances Folsom Cleveland (1864 - 1947), wife of Grover Cleveland
1889 - 1892: Caroline Harrison (1832 - 1892), wife of Benjamin Harrison
1892 - 1893: Mary McKee (1858 - 1930), daughter of Benjamin Harrison
1893 - 1897: Frances Folsom Cleveland (1864 - 1947), wife of Grover Cleveland
1897 - 1901: Ida McKinley (1847 - 1907), wife of William McKinley
1901 - 1909: Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt (1861 - 1948), wife of Theodore Roosevelt
1909 - 1913: Helen Louise Taft (1861 - 1943), wife of William Howard Taft
1913 - 1914: Ellen Wilson (1860 - 1914), wife of Thomas Woodrow Wilson
1914 - 1915: Margaret Woodrow Wilson (1886 - 1944), daughter of Thomas Woodrow Wilson
1915 - 1921: Edith Wilson (1872 - 1961), wife of Thomas Woodrow Wilson
1921 - 1923: Florence Harding (1860 - 1924), wife of Warren G. Harding
1923 - 1929: Grace Anna Coolidge (1879 - 1957), wife of Calvin Coolidge
1929 - 1933: Lou Hoover (1874 - 1944), wife of Herbert Hoover
1933 - 1945: Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 - 1962), wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt
1945 - 1953: Elizabeth “Bess” Truman (1885 - 1982), wife of Harry S. Truma
1953 - 1961: Mamie Geneva Doud Eisenhower (1896 - 1979), wife of Dwight D. Eisenhower
1961 - 1963: Jacqueline Kennedy (1929 - 1994), wife of John F. Kennedy
1963 - 1969: Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird) Johnson (1912 - 2007), wife of Lyndon B. Johnson
1969 - 1974: Thelma “Pat” Nixon (1912 - 1993), wife of Richard Nixon
1974 - 1977: Elizabeth Bloomer Ford (1918 - 2011), wife of Gerald Ford
1977 - 1981: Rosalynn Smith Carter (1927 - 2023), wife of Jimmy Carter
1981 - 1989: Nancy Reagan (1921 - 2016), wife of Ronald Reagan
1989 - 1993: Barbara Bush (1925 - 2018), wife of George H. W. Bush
1993 - 2001: Hillary Rodham Clinton (born 1947), wife of Bill Clinton
2001 - 2009: Laura Bush (born 1946), wife of George W. Bush
2009 - 2017: Michelle Obama (born 1964), wife of Barack Obama
2017 - 2021: Melania Trump (born 1970), wife of Donald Trump
2021 - 2025: Jill Biden (born 1951)), wife of Joe Biden
2025 - Present: Melania Trump (born 1970), wife of Donald Trump
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