1

The numbers behind it

Image: Melo Liu

One could say the White House is a home, but a more accurate description would be "small city." With 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and six levels, it accommodates everyone from the First Family to visiting dignitaries.

As if that wasn’t enough in terms of numbers, add 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, seven staircases, and three elevators, and you’ve got a place that’s as grand as it is functional. The only number left to wonder about is how many people it takes to clean it! With so much going on, it’s safe to say the White House is always buzzing.

2

From "President’s House" to "The White House"

Image: Saul Rodriguez

Did you know the White House wasn’t always called that? Over the years, it’s been referred to as the "President’s Palace," the "President’s House," and the "Executive Mansion."

But it wasn’t until 1901 that President Theodore Roosevelt made "The White House" the official name. The change reflected a more democratic image, distancing the building from European-style palaces.

3

6,000 visitors a day: A popular destination

Image: Saul Rodriguez

You have probably toured the White House at least once, haven’t you? Well, on any given day, the White House welcomes around 6,000 visitors.

From local and foreign tourists on a guided tour, diplomats, to school groups, the building sees a steady stream of guests. That’s a lot of handshakes, selfies, and security checks! More than power and politics, the charm of the White House lies in the national history it holds.

4

Presidential firsts: Planes, photos, and more

Image: Jainam Sheth

Every president brings something new to the White House, but some have achieved truly historic "firsts."

For example, John Tyler was the first to have his photograph taken. Theodore Roosevelt rode in the first presidential car and became the first president to travel abroad, to Panama. Franklin Roosevelt added air travel to the mix as the first president to fly.

You may be wondering who the first president to live there was, but we’ll cover that fact later in this article!

5

A kitchen built for a crowd

Image: Odiseo Castrejon

We may not know about the cleaning crew, but we do have some facts about the chefs!

There are five full-time chefs in the White House, so the kitchen is ready for any occasion. It can serve dinner to 140 guests or hors d’oeuvres to more than 1,000 people at a time. From state dinners to casual family meals, the kitchen staff handles it all with finesse. Five stars for them, please!

6

Painting the town (or the House) White

Image: Steve Johnson

Keeping the White House pristine is no small task: Can you guess how much paint it takes to cover it? Here’s the answer: It takes a whopping 570 gallons of paint to cover its iconic exterior. This monumental paint job ensures the building remains the picture of elegance and charm. Over the years, this white coat has become a symbol of the presidency itself. Who knew painting could carry so much historical weight? Fun fact: ours is not the only presidential home with a trademark color!

7

Fun and games at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Image: Jay Wennington

When you think of the Executive Mansion, you probably picture people in suits going from one point to another, solving national and international matters, right? Well, that may be true, but the White House isn’t all business; there are some recreational rooms, too.

Residents (which range from the presidential family to diplomats to staff) enjoy a tennis court, jogging track, swimming pool, movie theater, billiard room, and even a bowling lane. Talk about a house with some serious amenities, huh?

8

George Washington never slept here

Image: Kenny Eliason

While George Washington oversaw the creation of the White House, he never got to live in it. The mansion wasn’t completed until 1800, a year after Washington’s death.

So, to answer the question from the "presidential firsts" section, John Adams became the first president to move in, and it’s been the home of every president since. Washington’s influence is still felt, but don’t expect to see his ghost wandering the halls.

9

The White House has survived two fires

Image: Cullan Smith

Well, the title pretty much covers it, right? The White House has faced fire twice in its history.

In 1814, British forces burned it during the War of 1812, though some exterior walls and the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington were saved. Then, on Christmas Eve in 1929, a chimney flue sparked a blaze that gutted parts of the West Wing. President Herbert Hoover even directed firefighting efforts during the chaos. Now, this is proof of its true Americanness: It only came back stronger and taller!

10

Teddy Roosevelt built the West Wing

Image: Srikanta H. U

Teddy Roosevelt is the man behind the West Wing. In 1902, he expanded the White House by adding this now-famous section to house presidential offices.

The project replaced some old conservatories and introduced the colonnaded gallery that connects it to the main residence. Later presidents, like Taft and Franklin Roosevelt, expanded the West Wing further, but it all started with Teddy’s vision. Today, the West Wing is the spinal cord of the presidency as it holds the Oval Office.

1

Early childhood

Image: National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite being born into a prominent family, Eleanor Roosevelt’s childhood was not easy. She became an orphan when she was still very young. Her mother, Anna Hall, passed away in 1892, and her father died in 1894 from injuries sustained during a suicide attempt.

Following these tragic events, young Eleanor was left in the care of her maternal grandmother, Valentine Hall, before she was sent to a school for girls in England at the age of 15.

2

Family ties

Image: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Eleanor had presidential connections way before her marriage to FDR. Her father was Elliott Roosevelt, the younger brother of former President Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin D. Roosevelt, in turn, comes from a different branch of the Roosevelt family. The family was divided into two distinct clans, both based in New York, each with its own unique culture. Franklin belonged to the Hyde Park Roosevelts and was Theodore Roosevelt’s fifth cousin, while Eleanor was Theodore’s fifth cousin once removed .

Theodore was very fond of his niece and treated Eleanor like a daughter. In fact, in 1905, just a few months into his second term, the president gave her away at her wedding to Franklin D. Roosevelt. There’s nothing like keeping the name in the family!

3

American Red Cross volunteer

Image: National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

From a young age, Eleanor Roosevelt was actively involved in volunteer work. In 1917, when the United States entered World War I, women’s roles shifted dramatically. For Eleanor, this meant volunteering with the Red Cross and visiting wounded naval soldiers.

During her husband’s presidency, in the midst of World War II, Eleanor would inspire others to join the Red Cross and help raise funds to improve care and assistance for soldiers and their families. In August 1943, she even embarked on a month-long journey through the South Pacific to visit hospitals and infirmaries on military bases and ships.

4

An adventurous First Lady

Image: National Portrait Gallery, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite being an introvert, Eleanor Roosevelt was an adventurer at heart. She liked to travel and throughout her life practiced different sports. What did Eleanor consider the happiest day of her life? The day she made the field hockey team at her private school!

During the 1930s, she became close to American aviator Amelia Earhart . The pilot took the First Lady on a flight from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore in 1933 and even inspired Eleanor to apply for her own pilot’s license. After Earhart vanished during her attempt to fly around the world, Roosevelt told reporters, "I am sure Amelia’s last words were ‘I have no regrets.’"

5

Women's advocate

Image: National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the United States, Eleanor redefined the role of the First Lady. Unlike her predecessors, she led a very active political life, participating in a multitude of events advocating for women's rights.

For example, before FDR’s presidency, female journalists were often excluded from media events at the White House. Eleanor helped reverse this injustice by hosting a series of women-only press conferences . This courageous and revolutionary act eventually pressured newspapers to hire more female reporters and helped Eleanor win over female voters on behalf of her husband.

6

Newspaper columnist

Image: Douglas Chandor, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Did you know Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a syndicated newspaper column for 27 years? From 1935 until her death in 1962, Roosevelt penned six articles a week about her political views and personal life.

Simply titled "My Day," the column featured her thoughts on hot topics such as prohibition, Pearl Harbor, and Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch hunt. In all that time, Eleanor missed only a single week's worth of deadlines after her husband died in 1945.

7

Civil rights activist

Image: National Archives at College Park, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Eleanor Roosevelt was notably more progressive on civil rights than her husband. During the era of segregation, the First Lady became a crucial ally to the African-American community .

For example, she regularly invited African-American guests to the White House, breaking established protocols. In 1938, she even attended the inaugural meeting of the Southern Conference for Human Welfare in Birmingham, Alabama. On that occasion, after learning that segregationist policies prohibited white and African-Americans from sitting together at public functions, Eleanor protested. "They were afraid to arrest her," one witness recalled.

8

J. Edgar Hoover's public enemy

Image: National Archives and Records Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Because of her support for civil liberties and promotion of social programs, Eleanor Roosevelt was labeled a communist by the most conservative wing of American society. She was especially unpopular with J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI, which viewed her as a threat to the status quo.

In fact, the First Lady was the subject of one of the largest single FBI files, totaling around 3,000 pages . She publicly criticized Hoover’s abusive tactics, calling them "Gestapo-ish."

9

The first influencer

Image: Evert F. Baumgardner, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1959, Eleanor Roosevelt made a surprising appearance in a TV commercial that helped popularize margarine as a preferred spread in America.

Her endorsement of the product not only had a significant impact on consumer choices but also earned her a substantial income of $35,000. As evidence of her commitment to social causes, Eleanor used the earnings to purchase 6,000 care packages for families in need , providing critical support and assistance.

10

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Image: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In 1946, President Harry S Truman appointed Eleanor Roosevelt as the U.S. representative to the United Nations Human Rights Council. In this influential role, she played a key part in shaping the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Along with 50 other members, Eleanor worked tirelessly to establish a comprehensive framework that protected and upheld the fundamental rights and dignity of individuals worldwide. Her dedication to this important endeavor marked a significant milestone in the advancement of human rights on a global scale. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights remains, without a doubt, one of Eleanor Roosevelt’s greatest legacies.

1

Arizona skips Daylight Saving Time

Image: Christoph von Gellhorn

This is partly true because most of the state doesn’t bother with Daylight Saving Time . They stopped changing the clocks back in 1967. The exception is the Navajo Nation, which stretches into Utah and New Mexico and keeps DST so all its communities stay on the same schedule. Now, as for the smaller Hopi reservation, inside the Navajo Nation, it sticks with Arizona time… Yes, quite confusing if you’re not a local.

2

Georgia isn’t really the Peach State

Image: Jessica Furtney

Georgia loves its peaches, sure, but the state’s top fruit money-maker is actually blueberries . In recent years, blueberries have brought in several times more cash for farmers than peaches. Meanwhile, California grows far more peaches than Georgia ever has. The nickname stuck from the old days when Georgia peaches were famous for their flavor, not their volume. So while the pride is real, the peaches aren’t quite the powerhouse people may think.

3

Nevada didn’t record the hottest US temperature

Image: tommao wang

You probably think of Nevada’s desert heat as unmatched, but the all-time record belongs to California’s Death Valley . In July 1913, it hit a mind-melting 134 degrees Fahrenheit, the hottest temperature not only in America but the hottest ever recorded on Earth!

4

Minnesota doesn’t have the most lakes

Image: Tom Conway

Minnesota proudly calls itself the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but that’s selling itself short… The real number is closer to 12,000. However, Alaska wins this battle . The state has more than 3 million lakes over five acres in size. In fact, Alaska contains over 40 percent of the nation’s surface water. If you love fishing, kayaking, or just staring at a quiet stretch of water, the true lake capital of America is far up north.

5

Pineapples aren’t native to Hawaii

Image: Christian Joudrey

Pineapples are everywhere in Hawaiian imagery, but the plant actually comes from South America , mainly Paraguay and southern Brazil. Spanish explorers likely brought them to Hawaii in the 1500s after spreading them across the Pacific to places like the Philippines and Guam. Hawaii’s climate turned out to be perfect for growing them and by the 1900s, the islands were producing so many pineapples that the fruit became a symbol of Hawaii itself.

6

Maine isn’t the country’s easternmost point

Image: Chris Henry

If you’re a Geography geek, you’ll love this one. You might picture Maine’s rocky coast as the eastern tip of America, but the actual easternmost point is thousands of miles away, on Alaska’s Semisopochnoi Island in the Aleutians. How is that possible? Well, that’s because it crosses the 180th meridian, putting it in the Eastern Hemisphere. That means part of Alaska technically sits farther east than anywhere in Maine.

7

The biggest US earthquake didn’t happen in California

Image: Lala Miklós

California has suffered some big earthquakes in its history, but the most powerful earthquake in America struck Alaska in 1964 . It hit Prince William Sound with a magnitude of 9.2. It was so strong it shook the ground for four and a half minutes and triggered massive tsunamis. In today’s dollars, the damage would total more than $2 billion. Alaska sits on a collision zone of tectonic plates, making it one of the world’s most seismically active regions.

8

The Everglades isn’t America’s biggest swamp

Image: Joshua J. Cotten

A lot of people picture the Florida Everglades when they think of swamps, but technically, the Everglades isn’t a swamp at all. The real title of the largest swamp in the United States goes to Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin , which spans about 1.4 million acres. This swamp has a vast mix of cypress forests, bayous, and marshes, and it’s more than twice as productive as the Everglades when it comes to wildlife and plant life.

9

Big cities aren’t always capitals

Image: Mackenzie Cruz

It surprises people how often the biggest city isn’t the state capital . New York City? Not the capital… Albany is. Chicago? Nope, that honor goes to Springfield. Pennsylvania’s capital isn’t Philly or Pittsburgh, it’s Harrisburg. Even California’s capital isn’t L.A. or San Francisco, it’s actually Sacramento. Out of fifty states, only seventeen have their most populous city as the capital.

10

Alaska isn’t divided into counties

Image: Rod Long

Alaska likes to do things its own way. Instead of counties, it’s split into boroughs , and a massive area known as the Unorganized Borough has no local government at all. People out there don’t pay property taxes, but that freedom comes with challenges, limited services, fewer job options, and tough living conditions.