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

Town crier

In early American towns (and elsewhere in the world), before printed media and mass communication were the norm, news didn’t arrive through newspapers or broadcasts: it arrived by voice. Town criers walked streets ringing bells and loudly announcing public notices, laws, and important events . They were essential in communities where literacy was limited, and information traveled slowly.

2

Factory lectors

Nowadays, when you have some manual, boring labor to do, you can turn on the radio, listen to some music, or a podcast. Of course, that wasn’t an option once upon a time. In some factories, workers hired a lector to read aloud while they worked .

Starting in the mid 1800s and into the beginning of the 1900s, lectors in factories shared newspapers, novels, and political texts, keeping workers informed and entertained during long hours.

3

Elevator operator

Using an elevator seems easy enough today, but for decades, elevators didn’t run themselves. Operators manually controlled speed, direction, and stopping points using levers and switches , while also greeting passengers and announcing floors.

In luxury hotels and department stores, a skilled, often uniformed operator was part of the experience, expected to be polite, precise, and calm under pressure. The job peaked in the early 20th century, especially in big cities like New York and Chicago.

4

Switchboard operator

For early telephone calls, switchboard operators had to manually plug cords into panels to link callers together . The occupation rose shortly after Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone in the 1870s, and became a fundamental job until the middle of the following century, when direct dialing was introduced.

Most operators were women, chosen for their calm voices, speed, and courtesy. They often memorized local names, numbers, and even callers’ personal habits and routines.

5

Bowling pinsetter

In early bowling alleys, pins did not magically reset themselves via machines. Pinsetters stood behind the lanes, manually rearranging pins after every roll.

It was noisy, repetitive, and sometimes dangerous work, often done by teenagers . It was only in the 1950s that automatic pinsetting machines were introduced.

6

Lamplighter

Since the beginning of the 19th century, every evening, lamplighters walked city blocks, lighting gas lamps one by one . At dawn, they returned to extinguish them. This job was vital for public safety because the lights helped prevent crime and accidents in dark streets.

It wasn’t until the 1880s that the first electric streetlights were introduced in some cities, but they weren’t the norm until the 1950s. At that point, the cost of maintaining gas pipes had become too high compared to electricity, so the last gas lamps were removed.

7

Milkman

For the first half of the 20th century, the milkman was a familiar sight on American streets. He delivered fresh milk in glass bottles, leaving them in insulated boxes by the door. Many families depended on daily or near-daily deliveries, since refrigeration was limited or unreliable. By the 1940s, however, most American homes owned a refrigerator and the role of milkmen slowly faded.

8

Typist

There was a time, before computers, autocorrect, and AI, when offices relied on professional typists to produce everything from letters to legal documents. Many large companies employed entire "typing pools," rooms filled with workers trained to type quickly and accurately on typewriters. Precision mattered more than you may think; unlike today, mistakes on paper (rather than the screen) sometimes meant starting the document over.

9

Human computer

There was also a time when "computers" were people; their occupation was first mentioned in texts from 1613. Their role was to develop complex mathematical calculations by hand for scientific research, engineering projects, and more. Astronomers during the Renaissance, navigators during the Age of Exploration, and NASA space missions all relied on human computing for their operations.

Imagine that: teams worked through equations for hours or days, checking each other’s math for accuracy. During World War II and the early Cold War, this work was vital to national defense.

10

Knocker-upper

Before the Industrial Revolution, most people woke up with the sun. However, by the early 1800s, when factory systems took hold of big cities, being even five minutes late ceased to be an option for workers. To avoid oversleeping, which could mean lost wages, they paid a person to wake them up.

Knocker-uppers walked neighborhoods early in the morning, tapping on windows with long poles or shooting dried peas through blowpipes . Eventually, alarm clocks were introduced in the late 1800s, and the need for this occupation started declining.

11

Telegraph operator

A case in which the occupation disappeared along with the technology. Before phones and instant messaging, the telegraph, which was invented in 1837, was the fastest way to send information across long distances.

Telegraph operators translated messages into Morse code , sending dots and dashes through wires that spanned the country. Speed and accuracy were critical, especially for news, business, and wartime communication. With the introduction of radio transmissions and telephones in the late 1800s, the service became more and more obsolete, although Western Union, the major telegraph service in the US, continued to operate until 2006.

12

Iceman

Finally, there were the icemen. Before refrigerators became household staples, the iceman was an essential figure in American daily life. He delivered massive blocks of ice straight to people’s homes .

These blocks kept food fresh and milk cold in an era before electric cooling. Ice was harvested from frozen lakes in winter, stored in insulated warehouses, and rationed carefully during warmer months.

1

J.R. Ewing (Dallas)

Image: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

If ambition had a face, it would probably be J.R. Ewing, the slick oil tycoon from the TV show Dallas . Manipulative, calculating, cold, incredibly greedy, and even treacherous, he checks all the boxes for one of TV’s most hated—and most memorable—villains.

2

Ross Geller (Friends)

Image: Philippe Berdalle, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

David Schwimmer brought to life one of the most memorable characters in American sitcoms. We’re talking about Ross Geller from Friends , a character who could easily land on both the "most beloved" and "most hated" lists. And that’s the charm of Ross: fans who adore him point to his generosity and intelligence, while those who can’t stand him blame his jealousy and tendency toward constant drama. Which side are you on?

3

Mr. Burns (The Simpsons)

Image: Erik Mclean

The millionaire Mr. Burns is the perfect example of a cartoon villain. And maybe it's not just his cold, calculating, and greedy nature that makes him so unlikable, but also his total inability to relate to or understand the problems of ordinary people. While it's hard to truly "hate" any character from The Simpsons , we can safely say he does not exactly inspire affection.

4

Kimmy Gibbler (Full House)

Image: Jason Leung

Kimmy Gibbler, played by Andrea Barber on Full House , is one of those characters who sparks mixed feelings. Some viewers find her loud, quirky, and intrusive behavior charming. However, for others, those same traits can be a bit too irritating. Whether you adore her or can’t stand her, no one could imagine the show without Kimmy.

5

Janice (Friends)

Image: Chester from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Those of us who watched Friends need just three words to remember this character: "Oh. My. God!" That’s Janice's trademark line, repeated almost every time she appears on the show. It’s not malice that gets under our skin, but her shrill voice, endless energy, and constant drama. And of course, she won’t leave Chandler alone, who does everything but be upfront about his feelings.

6

Livia Soprano (The Sopranos)

Image: HBO, CC BY 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Livia Soprano, mother of none other than Tony Soprano, manages to make us hate her from the very first season, and that’s part of what makes her such a compelling character. Bitter, cold, distrustful, manipulative, and calculating, Livia helps explain much of the protagonist’s behavior; through her, we glimpse the roots of Tony’s twisted mind.

7

Pete Campbell (Mad Men)

Image: Peabody Awards, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Arrogant, manipulative, and always chasing status, these traits make Pete Campbell, played by Vincent Kartheiser, one of the least favorite characters on the iconic Mad Men . His hypocrisy and relentless ambition often lead him to overlook ethics and empathy, which is exactly why he earns a spot on this list.

8

Negan (The Walking Dead)

Image: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

A villain so terrifying that he earns the hatred of viewers definitely deserves a spot on this list. We’re talking about Negan, the ruthless leader played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan on The Walking Dead . His brutality, arrogance, and need to control everything make him one of the show’s most frightening and unforgettable antagonists.

9

Nellie Bertram (The Office)

Image: Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Played by the iconic Catherine Tate, Nellie Bertram joins The Office in the finale of the seventh season, and her excessive arrogance and pushy personality quickly make her one of the most irritating characters on the show. However, we have to admit it: on The Office , even the characters who get on our nerves often manage to make us laugh out loud.

10

Connor Roy (Succession)

Image: Super Festivals, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

A mix of wealth, eccentricity, vanity, greed, and a misplaced sense of power make Connor, the eldest Roy sibling in Succession , one of the least favorite characters in the series. His habit of taking advantage of others and expecting rewards he hasn’t earned is one of the key reasons he lands on this list.