1

The White House

Though America’s most famous house, located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, is not technically on the National Mall, it has been historically considered part of it due to its proximity and importance. It is separated from the National Mall by the Ellipse public park, and has a direct view of one of the most important Mall landmarks, the Washington Monument.

2

How America’s front yard came to be

When Pierre Charles L'Enfant designed Washington, D.C., in 1791, he envisioned a majestic avenue going from the Capitol to an equestrian statue of George Washington (now the site of the Washington Monument). The chosen name referenced the Mall in London, a fashionable avenue near Buckingham Palace. During the following century, L’Enfants’ plans for the Mall were ignored, and the space was used for canals, railways, and gardens. In 1901, the U.S. Senate decided to expand the number of monuments in Washington, D.C., which led to the renewal of the National Mall and to the addition of most of its iconic landmarks.

3

American history in action

As a space open to all Americans and one that is close to the Capitol and the White House, the National Mall has been the scene of many historical moments, from presidential inaugurations to festivals and protests. Among the most important events to take place in the National Mall, we can remember the 1963 March on Washington, the late 1960s Vietnam War protests, the 1987 AIDS Memorial Quilt, and the 1939 Marian Anderson concert.

4

Washington Monument

Located where L’Enfant initially envisioned an equestrian statue of George Washington, this 555-foot marble and granite obelisk was designed in the 1830s , but was not completed until 1884 due to fund shortages and political disputes. In 2011, damages caused by a 5.8 magnitude earthquake forced the closing of the monument, which reopened in 2014.

5

Lincoln Memorial

Conceived shortly after Lincoln’s assassination in 1865, construction began only in 1914, and the memorial was dedicated in 1922. The Neoclassic structure is surrounded by 36 columns, representing the 36 states that formed the Union at the time of Lincoln’s death . The famous statue of Lincoln in the interior is 19 feet tall, and both the Gettysburg Address and Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address are inscribed on the north and south interior walls.

6

Jefferson Memorial

Authorized by Congress in 1934 and dedicated on April 13, 1943, the construction of this monument sparked outrage, as i t required clearing parts of the Tidal Basin and cutting down some of its cherry trees to make space for the memorial. In what is known as the 1938 Cherry Tree Rebellion, protestors chained themselves to the trees. In the end, a compromise was reached, and most of the trees were transplanted. The monument, an homage to Jefferson’s estate of Monticello and the rotunda of the University of Virginia, features excerpts of his most notable writings.

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The Capitol

The first building to be constructed in the National Mall, the House of Congress is located in what was then known as Jenkins' Hill (now Capitol Hill) . George Washington laid the foundational stone in 1793, and the initial building was completed in 1800, but it was set on fire by the British during the War of 1812. It was reconstructed in 1826 and expanded during the 19th and 20th centuries.

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War memorials

Several memorials across the National Mall honor the thousands of Americans who gave their lives while serving the country . The first war memorial was the District of Columbia War Memorial of 1931, dedicated to honor residents of Washington, D.C. killed in WWI. Among the most significant memorials, we can find the National World War II Memorial of 2004, the Korean War Veterans Memorial of 1995, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of 1982, and the National World War I Memorial of 2014.

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FDR Memorial

Despite President Roosevelt’s wish for an understated memorial near the National Archives, the project approved by Congress after his passing was much grander. Instead of a monolithic monument, the FDR Memorial consists of a park-like landscape , with areas representing the four terms he served and the conflicts he led the nation through. It is also the only presidential memorial to include a tribute to a First Lady, in the form of a bronze statue of Eleanor Roosevelt.

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Museums

The National Mall is one of the places with the highest concentration of museums in the world , most of them managed by the Smithsonian Institution. Among its most famous museums are the National Museum of American History, the National Museum of Natural History, the National Gallery of Art, the National Air and Space Museum, and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.

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MLK Memorial

In 1963, the National Mall was the stage for Martin Luther King Jr.’s most famous speech, "I have a dream" , during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. After his 1968 assassination, members of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity —to which King belonged— petitioned to build a memorial in his honor on the National Mall, and were allowed by President Clinton in 1996. The memorial features a split rock —inspired by the iconic line "Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope."— and a central figure depicting MLK Jr.

12

Parks and Tidal Basin

The National Mall's original plan included several landscaped areas, but they were not designed as part of it until 1901, when the area was cleaned to include open lawns and rows of trees lining the different sections . In 1882, part of the Potomac River was dredged to reclaim 628 acres of land, creating the Tidal Basin and adding space for many of the current monuments. In 1912, the city of Tokyo gifted Washington, D.C., more than 3,000 cherry trees as a sign of friendship, now an iconic part of the Tidal Basin landscape. In 1965, the parks in the National Mall were consolidated as a unit as the National Mall and Memorial Parks.

1

Construction costs that’d make your wallet faint

Image: Jaime Labra

Back in 1912, the Titanic cost $7.5 million to build, and if you're wondering what that’d be today, it’d be over $400 million. That’s more than some sports stadiums! It took nearly three years to complete and was one of the most extravagant ships ever made.

2

Yes, there were dogs

Image: Yuki Dog

As it turns out, the Titanic wasn’t just for people. At least 12 dogs came along for the ride , lounging in a special first-class kennel. There was even a dog show scheduled for the morning of April 15. Sadly, only three tiny dogs survived, all small enough to sneak onto lifeboats tucked in coats or handbags.

3

The band really did play on

Image: Parizan Studio

Wallace Hartley, the bandleader, went down in history, and with his violin! His group kept playing as chaos unfolded around them, trying to calm passengers with music, just like the movie portrays. He didn’t make it, but his violin was found intact and later sold at an auction for $1.7 million!

4

A pocket watch frozen in time

Image: Otto Hyytiälä

The violin was not the only treasure found. Sidney Sedunary was a young steward whose pocket watch stopped ticking at exactly 1:50 a.m. , just before the ship went under. He was last seen handing out lifejackets to third-class passengers. That same watch, rusted but intact, still tells his story.

5

A survivor with frostbitten legs and Olympic dreams

Image: Shep McAllister

Richard Norris Williams spent six hours in icy water, and doctors on the rescue ship wanted to amputate his legs. He refused . And you may think he was crazy to do so, but thank God he did! He went on to win a Wimbledon title and an Olympic gold medal. How crazy is that?

6

Finding the Titanic by accident

Image: Karl Callwood

In 1985, oceanographer Robert Ballard found the Titanic wreck. But that was just an accident ; he was actually sent by the Navy to look for two lost nuclear submarines and used the Titanic as a cover story.

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Dishes still stacked neatly on the ocean floor

Image: Jannet Serhan

When explorers visited the Titanic wreck in 1986, they found plates still stacked like someone had just finished doing the dishes. Turns out, the wooden cabinet they were in rotted away , leaving the china perfectly arranged on the sea floor. It’s as eerie as fascinating, considering the many years that passed.

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The ship is rusting away

Image: NOAA

And speaking of the amount of time the Titanic has been underwater, we have to say that nature is reclaiming the Titanic bit by bit. A newly discovered bacterium is literally eating the ship. Scientists estimate it could disappear completely in 20 to 30 years. The latest expeditions have already shown evidence that pieces that were previously there are gone. So… the clock's ticking.

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No photos of the grand staircase?

Image: Maria Orlova

You’ve probably seen images of the Titanic’s beautiful grand staircase. We’re sorry to disappoint, but they’re not of the Titanic . They’re from her sister ship, the Olympic. No one thought to take a picture of the real deal before the maiden voyage. And they definitely didn’t think of doing it while it happened!

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Milton Hershey almost boarded

Image: Janne Simoes

If the name rings a bell, that’s because it’s the same Hershey from the chocolate you love. The man behind Hershey’s chocolate bars almost booked a room on the Titanic . He even wrote a $300 deposit check (big money back then!). But business delayed him, and he skipped the trip. Who do we thank for that?

11

The baker who survived two hours in icy water

Image: Maxim Hopman

Here’s a fascinating fact: Charles Joughin, the Titanic’s chief baker, survived one of the worst parts of the sinking: the freezing Atlantic water. He was reportedly treading water for two hours before rescue. Wanna know how he made it? He had been sipping whiskey to face his fate, and the alcohol in his blood kept him warm enough to survive.

12

The last lunch menu went for a tasty sum

Image: Zoshua Colah

In 2015, a copy of Titanic’s last first-class lunch menu sold for $88,000 . That’s one pricey memento. The menu included grilled mutton chops, chicken à la Maryland, and corned ox tongue. Safe to say lunch on the Titanic wasn’t your average sandwich and chips.

1

It was almost completely torn down

Did you know that very little of today’s White House interior is actually original? Looking at the building now, it’s hard to imagine that it was once so unstable that it was in danger of collapsing.

By 1948, after decades of heavy use, outdated wiring, poor structural supports, and years of renovations layered over one another, the White House had become unsafe. Floors and walls cracked, and parts of the residence were literally sinking. President Harry S. Truman even joked that the place felt haunted because it made so many strange noises. Rather than abandon it, Truman launched a massive reconstruction project with Congress. Between 1948 and 1952, nearly the entire interior was gutted and rebuilt while the original exterior walls were preserved, giving America a strong and reliable White House.

2

During WWII, they built an underground bunker

Did you know there’s a fortified bunker hidden beneath the White House? A couple of years before Truman’s famous renovation, another major project was quietly built beneath the presidential residence.

In 1942, during World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered the construction of a secure underground shelter to protect government leaders in case Washington, D.C., came under attack. Built quickly and in great secrecy, the bunker was completed within months, though it was luckily never needed during the war. Today, the facility is known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, or PEOC, and it was famously used in 2001 by President George W. Bush and again in 2020 by Donald Trump.

3

It was not originally meant to be white

Can you imagine if it were called "the Gray House"? Today, it’s impossible to picture America’s most famous home as anything other than bright white, but that wasn’t the original idea.

During construction in the 1790s, workers covered the exterior sandstone with a lime-based whitewash to protect it from moisture, cracking, and harsh winter weather. The coating gave the building a pale grayish appearance, not the brilliant white we recognize today. A long-standing myth claims the White House was painted white to hide the burn marks left after British troops set it on fire in 1814, but in reality, the building had already been whitewashed years earlier. Still, after the fire and reconstruction, the white exterior became permanent and eventually inspired the famous name "White House," though for many years people still called it the "President’s House."

4

10 people have died in the White House

Many people have lived and worked in the White House over the centuries, but, according to the White House Historical Association, only 10 people are officially recorded as having died inside the presidential residence.

Among them were two U.S. presidents. William Henry Harrison died there at age 68 in 1841 after falling seriously ill, likely from contaminated water. Zachary Taylor died at age 65 in 1850 from a severe stomach illness after attending Fourth of July celebrations in extreme heat. Three First Ladies also passed away in the White House: Letitia Tyler in 1842, Caroline Harrison in 1892, and Ellen Axson Wilson in 1914. Other deaths included presidential relatives, aides, and staff members, among them Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie Lincoln, whose death at the age of 11 in 1862 deeply affected the family and became one of the White House’s most heartbreaking stories.

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Presidential whims

Not every White House renovation happened due to war, damage, or urgent repairs. Some changes came simply from the personal tastes and hobbies of the presidents who lived there, and over the years, there have been quite a few memorable ones.

In 1973, Richard Nixon installed a one-lane bowling alley beneath the North Portico. Years later, in 1989, George H. W. Bush added a regulation horseshoe pit near the White House grounds, where he often relaxed and challenged visitors, including Queen Elizabeth II, to games. Then, in 2009, Barack Obama had the South Lawn tennis court modified so it could also be used for basketball, one of his favorite sports.

6

Jackie Kennedy's furniture

When the Kennedy family entered the White House in 1961, the first lady was disappointed to find that many of the historic rooms had lost much of their original character.

Determined to restore the White House’s history and elegance, Jackie Kennedy famously launched a massive restoration effort. She helped create the White House Fine Arts Committee, brought in historians and curators, and filled the residence with genuine antiques and historical pieces tied to past presidencies. On February 14, 1962, an estimated 46 to 56 million people tuned in to watch the First Lady’s televised tour of the White House, making it one of the most-watched programs of its era. She also supported a congressional act that made many of the White House’s historic furnishings official property of the nation, so future presidents could no longer sell, replace, or discard them.

7

Official name changes

As we mentioned, the building was not always white, and therefore was not always officially called the White House. For much of the 19th century, Americans usually referred to it as the "Executive Mansion" or the "President’s House." Even after its famous white exterior made the nickname popular, it still was not the building’s official name.

That finally changed in 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt began printing "The White House" on presidential stationery. According to official sources, Teddy Roosevelt preferred this name because it clearly separated the president’s residence from the many state "executive mansions" used by governors across the country.

8

It was once America's largest house

There is one thing about the White House that no one can deny: it has always been huge, even in its early days.

When the White House was first occupied in 1800, it already contained more than 100 rooms spread across three floors, making it one of the grandest homes in the United States at the time. In a time when most Americans lived in modest houses or farms, the presidential residence was seen as a palace. Many historians even consider it the largest private residence in the country during its early years. Today, the White House covers about 55,000 square feet, though modern private buildings, like the Biltmore Estate in North Carolina, are now far larger.

9

President Benjamin Harrison’s fear

Among the many changes the White House has undergone over the years, few were as revolutionary as the arrival of electricity.

For nearly a century after it was built, the presidential residence relied on candles, oil lamps, and gas lighting. That finally changed in 1891, when electricity was installed during the presidency of Benjamin Harrison. But, like many families in that era, the Harrisons were not exactly thrilled by this modern invention. According to White House stories passed down over the years, President Harrison and First Lady Caroline Harrison were so nervous about the possibility of electric shock that they rarely touched the light switches themselves. Instead, they often asked the house staff to turn the lights on and off for them.

10

Hillary Clinton’s special gift

Of course, Jackie Kennedy wasn’t the only First Lady to leave her mark on the White House. Hillary Clinton added her own personal touch as well, this time as a gift for her husband.

In 1996, Hillary Clinton transformed a little-used room on the White House’s third floor into a private music room for President Bill Clinton. The gift came during the year of Bill Clinton’s 50th birthday and reflected one of his best-known passions: music. Complete with space for listening to records and playing his famous saxophone, the room gave the president a quiet retreat inside the White House.