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SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT First Ladies of the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

First Lady of the

United States

Melania Trump Official Portrait,jpg

Incumbent

Melania Trump

since January 20, 2017

Style Mrs, Trump

Residence White House

Inaugural holder Martha Washington

Website First Ladies

The First Lady of the United States is the hostess of the White House, The position is traditionally filled by the wife of the President of the United States, but, on occasion, the title has been applied to women who were not presidents’ wives, such as when the president was a bachelor or widower, or when the wife of the president was unable to fulfill the duties of the First Lady herself, The First Lady is not an elected position; it carries no official duties and receives no salary, Nonetheless, she attends many official ceremonies and functions of state either along with or in place of the president, Traditionally, the First Lady does not hold outside employment while occupying the office,[1] She has her own staff, including the White House Social Secretary, the Chief of Staff, the Press Secretary, the Chief Floral Designer, and the Executive Chef, The Office of the First Lady is also in charge of all social and ceremonial events of the White House, and is a branch of the Executive Office of the President,

There have been total of fifty-three First Ladies including forty-two official and eleven acting and forty-five First Ladyships, This discrepancy exists because some presidents had multiple first ladies, Following Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20, 2017, his wife, Melania Trump, became the 42nd official First Lady, succeeding Michelle Obama, wife of former President Barack Obama,

There are five living former First Ladies: Rosalynn Carter, married to Jimmy Carter; Barbara Bush, married to George H, W, Bush; Hillary Clinton, married to Bill Clinton; Laura Bush, married to George W, Bush, and Michelle Obama, married to Barack Obama, The first First Lady was Martha Washington, married to George Washington, Presidents John Tyler and Woodrow Wilson had two official First Ladies; both remarried during their presidential tenures, The wives of four Presidents died before their husbands were sworn into office but are still considered First Ladies by the White House and National First Ladies' Library: Martha Wayles Skelton, married to Thomas Jefferson;[2][3] Rachel Jackson, married to Andrew Jackson;[4][5] Hannah Van Buren, married to Martin Van Buren;[6][7] and Ellen Lewis Herndon Arthur, married to Chester A, Arthur,[8][9] One woman who was not married to a President is still considered an official First Lady: Harriet Lane, niece of bachelor James Buchanan, The other non-spousal relatives who served as White House hostesses are not recognized by the First Ladies' Library,

In 2007, the United States Mint began releasing a set of half-ounce $10 gold coins under the First Spouse Program with engravings of portraits of the First Ladies on the obverse,[10] When a President served without a spouse, a gold coin was issued that bears an obverse image emblematic of Liberty as depicted on a circulating coin of that era and a reverse image emblematic of themes of that President's life, This is true for the coins for Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, and James Buchanan's First Ladies, but not the coin for Chester A, Arthur's First Lady, which instead depicts suffragette Alice Paul,[11]

Contents

1 List of First Ladies

2 Other spouses of Presidents of the United States

3 See also

4 References

5 External links

List of First Ladies

This list included all persons who served as First Ladies, regardless of whether they were married to the incumbent President or not, as well as persons who are considered to have acted as First Lady by the official White House website and the White House Historical Association,

POTUS

No,

Portrait First Lady

(Maiden name) Tenure Age at tenure st*rt President

(Husband, unless noted)

1 Portrait of Martha Washington Martha Dandridge

June 13, 1731 – May 22, 1802

(aged 70)

[12][13]

April 30, 1789

–

March 4, 1797 57 years, 321 days Washington

m, January 6, 1759

2 Portrait painting of Abigail Adams Abigail Smith

November 22, 1744 – October 28, 1818

(aged 73)

[14][15]

March 4, 1797

–

March 4, 1801 52 years, 102 days J, Adams

m, October 25, 1764

3 Portrait painting of Martha Jefferson Martha Jefferson

September 27, 1772 – October 10, 1836

(aged 64)

[2][3]

March 4, 1801

–

March 4, 1809 28 years, 158 days Jefferson

Daughter

[16]

4 Portrait painting of Dolley Madison Dolley Payne

May 20, 1768 – July 12, 1849

(aged 81)

[17][18] March 4, 1809

–

March 4, 1817 40 years, 288 days Madison

m, September 14, 1794

5 Portrait painting of Elizabeth Monroe Elizabeth Kortright

June 30, 1768 – September 23, 1830

(aged 62)

[19][20] March 4, 1817

–

March 4, 1825 48 years, 247 days Monroe

m, February 16, 1786

6 Portrait engraving of Louisa Adams Louisa Catherine Johnson

Birth country: Great Britain

February 12, 1775 – May 15, 1852

(aged 77)

[21][22] March 4, 1825

–

March 4, 1829 50 years, 20 days J, Q, Adams

m, July 26, 1797

7 Emily Donelson,jpg Emily Donelson

June 1, 1807 – December 19, 1836

(aged 29)

[23]

March 4, 1829

–

November 26, 1834 21 years, 276 days Jackson

Niece

Sarah Yorke Jackson (1),jpg Sarah Yorke Jackson

July 16, 1803 – August 23, 1887

(aged 84)

[24]

November 26, 1834

–

March 4, 1837 31 years, 133 days Jackson

Daughter-in-law

8 Portrait painting of Angelica Singleton Van Buren Sarah Angelica Singleton

February 13, 1818 – December 29, 1877

(aged 59)

[6][7] November 27, 1838

–

March 4, 1841 20 years, 287 days Van Buren

Daughter-in-law

9 Portrait painting of Anna Tuthill Harrison Anna Tuthill Symmes

July 25, 1775 – February 25, 1864

(aged 88)

[25][26] March 4, 1841

–

April 4, 1841 65 years, 222 days W, H, Harrison

m, November 22, 1795

Portrait painting of Jane Irwin Harrison Jane Irwin Harrison

July 23, 1804 – May 11, 1846

(aged 41)

[26] March 4, 1841

–

April 4, 1841 36 years, 224 days W, H, Harrison

Daughter-in-law

10 Portrait painting of Letitia Tyler Letitia Christian

November 12, 1790 – September 10, 1842

(aged 51)

[27][28] April 4, 1841

–

September 10, 1842

† 50 years, 143 days Tyler

m, March 29, 1813

Portrait painting of Priscilla Cooper Tyler Elizabeth Priscilla Cooper

June 14, 1816 – December 29, 1889

(aged 73)

[29] September 10, 1842

–

June 26, 1844 26 years, 88 days Tyler

Daughter-in-law

Portrait painting of Julia Tyler Julia Gardiner

May 4, 1820 – July 10, 1889

(aged 69)

[30][31] June 26, 1844

–

March 4, 1845 24 years, 53 days Tyler

m, June 26, 1844

President Tyler remarried

during term

11 Portrait painting of Sarah Polk Sarah Childress

September 4, 1803 – August 14, 1891

(aged 87)

[32][33] March 4, 1845

–

March 4, 1849 41 years, 181 days Polk

m, January 1, 1824

12 Portrait painting of Margaret Taylor Margaret Mackall Smith

September 21, 1788 – August 14, 1852

(aged 63)

[34][35] March 4, 1849

–

July 9, 1850 60 years, 164 days Taylor

m, June 21, 1810

13 Portrait painting of Abigail Fillmore Abigail Powers

March 13, 1798 – March 30, 1853

(aged 55)

[36][37] July 9, 1850

–

March 4, 1853 52 years, 118 days Fillmore

m, February 5, 1826

14 Engraving of Jane Pierce Jane Means Appleton

March 12, 1806 – December 2, 1863

(aged 57)

[38][39] March 4, 1853

–

March 4, 1857 46 years, 357 days Pierce

m, November 19, 1834

15 Portrait photograph of Harriet Lane Harriet Rebecca Lane

May 9, 1830 – July 3, 1903

(aged 73)

[40][41] March 4, 1857

–

March 4, 1861 26 years, 299 days Buchanan

Niece

16 Portrait photograph of Mary Lincoln Mary Ann Todd

December 13, 1818 – July 16, 1882

(aged 63)

[42][43] March 4, 1861

–

April 15, 1865 42 years, 81 days Lincoln

m, November 4, 1842

17 Portrait engraving of Eliza Johnson Eliza McCardle

October 4, 1810 – January 15, 1876

(aged 65)

[44][45] April 15, 1865

–

March 4, 1869 54 years, 193 days A, Johnson

m, May 17, 1827

18 Portrait photograph of Julia Grant Julia Boggs Dent

January 26, 1826 – December 14, 1902

(aged 76)

[46][47] March 4, 1869

–

March 4, 1877 43 years, 37 days Grant

m, August 22, 1848

19 Portrait photograph of Lucy Hayes Lucy Ware Webb

August 28, 1831 – June 25, 1889

(aged 57)

[48][49] March 4, 1877

–

March 4, 1881 45 years, 188 days Hayes

m, December 30, 1852

20 Portrait photograph of Lucretia Garfield Lucretia Rudolph

April 19, 1832 – March 14, 1918

(aged 85)

[50][51] March 4, 1881

–

September 19, 1881 48 years, 319 days Garfield

m, November 11, 1858

21 Portrait of Mary Arthur McElroy Mary Arthur McElroy

July 5, 1841 – January 8, 1917

(aged 75)

[52] September 19, 1881

–

March 4, 1885 40 years, 76 days Arthur

Sister

22 Portrait of Rose Cleveland Rose Elizabeth Cleveland

June 13, 1846 – November 22, 1918

(aged 72)

[53] March 4, 1885

–

June 2, 1886 38 years, 264 days Cleveland

Sister

Portrait of Frances Cleveland Frances Clara Folsom

July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947

(aged 83)

[54][55] June 2, 1886

–

March 4, 1889 21 years, 316 days Cleveland

m, June 2, 1886

Married in the White House

23 Portrait of Caroline Harrison Caroline Lavinia Scott

October 1, 1832 – October 25, 1892

(aged 60)

[56][57] March 4, 1889

–

October 25, 1892

† 56 years, 154 days B, Harrison

m, October 20, 1853

Portrait of Mary Harrison McKee Mary Scott Harrison

April 3, 1858 – October 28, 1930

(aged 72)

[57] October 25, 1892

–

March 4, 1893 34 years, 205 days B, Harrison

Daughter

24 Portrait of Frances Cleveland Frances Clara Folsom

July 21, 1864 – October 29, 1947

(aged 83)

[54][55] March 4, 1893

–

March 4, 1897 28 years, 226 days Cleveland

m, June 2, 1886

25 Portrait of Ida McKinley Ida Saxton

June 8, 1847 – May 26, 1907

(aged 59)

[58][59] March 4, 1897

–

September 14, 1901 49 years, 269 days McKinley

m, January 25, 1871

26 Portrait of Edith Roosevelt Edith Kermit Carow

August 6, 1861 – September 30, 1948

(aged 87)

[60][61] September 14, 1901

–

March 4, 1909 40 years, 39 days T, Roosevelt

m, December 2, 1886

27 Portrait of Helen Taft Helen Louise Herron

June 2, 1861 – May 22, 1943

(aged 81)

[62][63] March 4, 1909

–

March 4, 1913 47 years, 275 days Taft

m, June 19, 1886

28 Portrait of Ellen Wilson Ellen Louise Axson

May 15, 1860 – August 6, 1914

(aged 54)

[64][65] March 4, 1913

–

August 6, 1914

† 52 years, 293 days Wilson

m, June 24, 1885

Portrait of Margaret Woodrow Wilson Margaret Woodrow Wilson

April 16, 1886 – February 12, 1944

(aged 57)

[65] August 6, 1914

–

December 18, 1915 28 years, 112 days Wilson

Daughter

Portrait of Edith Wilson Edith Bolling

October 15, 1872 – December 28, 1961

(aged 89)

[66][67] December 18, 1915

–

March 4, 1921 43 years, 64 days Wilson

m, December 18, 1915

President Wilson remarried

during first term

29 Portrait of Florence Harding Florence Mabel Kling

August 15, 1860 – November 21, 1924

(aged 64)

[68][69] March 4, 1921

–

August 2, 1923 60 years, 201 days Harding

m, July 8, 1891

30 Grace Coolidge Grace Anna Goodhue

January 3, 1879 – July 8, 1957

(aged 78)

[70][71] August 2, 1923

–

March 4, 1929 44 years, 211 days Coolidge

m, October 4, 1905

31 Portrait of Lou Hoover Lou Henry

March 29, 1874 – January 7, 1944

(aged 69)

[72][73] March 4, 1929

–

March 4, 1933 54 years, 340 days Hoover

m, February 10, 1899

32 Portrait of Eleanor Roosevelt Anna Eleanor Roosevelt

October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962

(aged 78)

[74][75] March 4, 1933

–

April 12, 1945 48 years, 144 days F, D, Roosevelt

m, March 17, 1905

33 Portrait of Bess Truman Elizabeth Virginia "Bess" Wallace

February 13, 1885 – October 18, 1982

(aged 97)

[76][77] April 12, 1945

–

January 20, 1953 60 years, 58 days Truman

m, June 28, 1919

34 Portrait of Mamie Eisenhower Mamie Geneva Doud

November 14, 1896 – November 1, 1979

(aged 82)

[78][79] January 20, 1953

–

January 20, 1961 56 years, 67 days Eisenhower

m, July 1, 1916

35 Portrait Of Jaqueline Kennedy Jacqueline "Jackie" Lee Bouvier

July 28, 1929 – May 19, 1994

(aged 64)

[80][81] January 20, 1961

–

November 22, 1963 31 years, 176 days Kennedy

m, September 12, 1953

36 Portrait of Lady Bird Johnson Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor

December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007

(aged 94)

[82][83] November 22, 1963

–

January 20, 1969 50 years, 335 days L, B, Johnson

m, November 17, 1934

37 Portrait of Pat Nixon Thelma "Pat" Catherine Ryan

March 16, 1912 – June 22, 1993

(aged 81)

[84][85] January 20, 1969

–

August 9, 1974 56 years, 310 days Nixon

m, June 21, 1940

38 Portrait of Betty Ford Elizabeth "Betty" Ann Bloomer

April 8, 1918 – July 8, 2011

(aged 93)

[86][87] August 9, 1974

–

January 20, 1977 56 years, 123 days Ford

m, October 15, 1948

39 Portrait of Rosalynn Carter Eleanor Rosalynn Smith

Born August 18, 1927 (age 90)

[88][89] January 20, 1977

–

January 20, 1981 49 years, 155 days Carter

m, July 7, 1946

40 Portrait of Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis

July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016

(aged 94)

[90][91] January 20, 1981

–

January 20, 1989 59 years, 203 days Reagan

m, March 4, 1952

41 Portrait of Barbara Bush Barbara Pierce

Born June 8, 1925 (age 92)

[92][93] January 20, 1989

–

January 20, 1993 63 years, 226 days G, H, W, Bush

m, January 6, 1945

42 Portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham

Born October 26, 1947 (age 70)

[94][95] January 20, 1993

–

January 20, 2001 45 years, 86 days Clinton

m, October 11, 1975

43 Portrait of Laura Bush Laura Lane Welch

Born November 4, 1946 (age 71)

[96][97] January 20, 2001

–

January 20, 2009 54 years, 77 days G, W, Bush

m, November 5, 1977

44 Portrait of Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson

Born January 17, 1964 (age 54)

[98][99] January 20, 2009

–

January 20, 2017 45 years, 3 days Obama

m, October 3, 1992

45 Photograph of Melania Trump Melanija Knavs

Birth country: Yugoslavia

(present day Slovenia)

Born April 26, 1970 (age 47)

[100] January 20, 2017

–

present

46 years, 269 days Trump

m, January 22, 2005

Other spouses of Presidents of the United States

Certain spouses of Presidents of the United States are not considered First Ladies of the United States,

Four Presidents were widowed prior to their presidencies:

Thomas Jefferson was married to Martha Wayles from 1772 until her death in 1782,

Andrew Jackson was married to Rachel Donelson from 1794 until her death in 1828,

Martin Van Buren was married to Hannah Hoes from 1807 until her death in 1819,

Chester A, Arthur was married to Ellen Lewis Herndon from 1859 until her death in 1880,

Two Presidents were divorced prior to their presidencies:

Ronald Reagan was married to Jane Wyman from 1940 until 1949,

Donald Trump was married to Ivana Zelníčková from 1977 until 1992 and to Marla Maples from 1993 until 1999,

Two Presidents remarried after their presidencies:

Millard Fillmore was married to Caroline Carmichael McIntosh from 1858 until his death in 1874,

Benjamin Harrison was married to Mary Scott Lord Dimmick from 1896 until his death in 1901,

See also

icon Politics portal

flag United States portal

Second Lady of the United States

First Family of the United States

List of children of the Presidents of the United States

List of current United States first spouses

List of Presidents of the United States

List of United States First Lady firsts

Spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada

First Lady of Mexico

References

Caroli, Betty Boyd (2003), First Ladies from Martha Washington to Laura Bush, Oxford University Press, p, 200,

"Biography of Martha Jefferson", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Martha Jefferson", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Rachel Jackson", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Rachel Jackson", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Hannah Van Buren", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Hannah Van Buren", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Ellen Arthur", The White House, Retrieved January 20, 2009,

"First Lady Biography: Ellen Arthur", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved January 10, 2009,

"The First Spouse Gold Coins", United States Mint, Retrieved January 10, 2009,

31 U,S,C, § 5112(o)(3)(D)(i)(II) Denominations, specifications, and design of coins, The First Spouse Gold Coins, Cornell University, Retrieved on January 10, 2009,

"Biography of Martha Washington", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Martha Washington", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Abigail Adams", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Abigail Adams", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

Jefferson's spouse, Martha Jefferson, died before he became President, Their daughter, Martha, is considered de facto First Lady by the White House Historical Association,

"Biography of Dolley Madison", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Dolley Madison", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Elizabeth Monroe", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Elizabeth Monroe", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Louisa Adams", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Louisa Adams", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Emily Donelson", WHHA, Retrieved 2017-06-01,

"First Ladies Never Married to Presidents: Sarah Jackson", www,firstladies,org, Retrieved 2017-06-01,

"Biography of Anna Harrison", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Anna Harrison", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Letitia Tyler", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Letitia Tyler", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Letitia Tyler Biography :: National First Ladies' Library", Firstladies,org, December 28, 1907, Retrieved September 7, 2016,

"Biography of Julia Tyler", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Julia Tyler", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Sarah Polk", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Sarah Polk", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Margaret Taylor", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Margaret Taylor", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Abigail Fillmore", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Abigail Fillmore", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Jane Pierce", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Jane Pierce", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Harriet Lane", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Harriet Lane", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Mary Lincoln", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Mary Lincoln", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Eliza McCardle Johnson", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Eliza Johnson", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Julia Grant", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Julia Grant", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Lucy Hayes", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Lucy Hayes", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Lucretia Garfield", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Lucretia Garfield", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Mary Arthur McElroy, White House hostess for President Chester Arthur", loc,gov, Library of Congress, Retrieved 2 May 2017,

Wikisource-logo,svg Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds, (1900), "Cleveland, Grover", Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography, New York: D, Appleton,

"Biography of Frances Cleveland", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Frances Cleveland", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Caroline Harrison", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Caroline Harrison", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Ida McKinley", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Ida McKinley", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Edith Roosevelt", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Edith Roosevelt", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Helen Taft", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Helen Taft", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Ellen Wilson", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Ellen Wilson", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Edith Wilson", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Edith Wilson", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Florence Harding", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Florence Harding", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Grace Coolidge", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Grace Coolidge", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Lou Hoover", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Lou Hoover", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Eleanor Roosevelt", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Eleanor Roosevelt", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Bess Truman", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Bess Truman", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Mamie Eisenhower", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Mamie Eisenhower", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Jacqueline Kennedy", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Jackie Kennedy", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Lady Bird Johnson", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Lady Bird Johnson", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Pat Nixon", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Pat Nixon", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Betty Ford", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Betty Ford", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Rosalynn Carter", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Rosalynn Carter", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Nancy Reagan", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Nancy Reagan", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Barbara Bush", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Barbara Bush", National First Ladies' Library, Archived from the original on March 3, 2009, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Hillary Clinton", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Hillary Clinton", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Laura Bush", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"First Lady Biography: Laura Bush", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Biography of Michelle Obama", The White House, Retrieved March 11, 2010,[permanent dead link]

"First Lady Biography: Michelle Obama", National First Ladies' Library, Retrieved March 11, 2010,

"Who Is Melania Trump?", New York, N,Y,: The New Yorker, Retrieved May 9, 2016,

External links

The First Ladies – White House

Biographies of the First Ladies of the United States of America – National First Ladies' Library

First Ladies National Historic Site

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First Ladies of the United States

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Lists related to the Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States

[show] v t e

Spouses of heads of state by country

Categories: First Ladies of the United StatesLists of American peopleLists of spouses of national leaders

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SOME GENERAL INFO ABOUT Jigsaw puzzle

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Jigsaw puzzles)

For the Rolling Stones song, see Jigsaw Puzzle (song),

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People solving a jigsaw puzzle

Part of a series on

Puzzles

Jigsaw piece

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v t e

A jigsaw puzzle is a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of often oddly shaped interlocking and tessellating pieces, Each piece usually has a small part of a picture on it; when complete, a jigsaw puzzle produces a complete picture, In some cases more advanced types have appeared on the market, such as spherical jigsaws and puzzles showing optical illusions,

Jigsaw puzzles were originally created by painting a picture on a flat, rectangular piece of wood, and then cutting that picture into small pieces with a jigsaw, hence the name, John Spilsbury, a London cartographer and engraver, is credited with commercializing jigsaw puzzles around 1760,[1] Jigsaw puzzles have since come to be made primarily of cardboard,

Typical images found on jigsaw puzzles include scenes from nature, buildings, and repetitive designs, Castles and mountains are two traditional subjects, However, any kind of picture can be used to make a jigsaw puzzle; some companies offer to turn personal photographs into puzzles, Completed puzzles can also be attached to a backing with adhesive to be used as artwork,

During recent years, a range of jigsaw puzzle accessories including boards, cases, frames and roll-up mats has become available that are designed to assist jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts,

Contents

1 History

2 Modern construction

3 Variations

4 Puzzle pieces

5 World records

5,1 Largest commercially available jigsaw puzzles

5,2 Largest-sized jigsaw puzzles

6 Cultural significance

6,1 Art and entertainment

6,2 Symbol for autism

7 See also

8 References

9 External links

History

John Spilsbury's "Europe divided into its kingdoms, etc," (1766), He created the jigsaw puzzle for educational purposes, and called them “Dissected Maps”,[2][3]

The engraver and cartographer John Spilsbury, of London, is believed to have produced the first jigsaw puzzle around 1760, using a marquetry saw,[1] Early jigsaws, known as dissections, were produced by mounting maps on sheets of hardwood and cutting along national boundaries, creating a puzzle useful for the teaching of geography,[1] Such "dissected maps" were used to teach the children of King George III and Queen Charlotte by royal governess Lady Charlotte Finch,[4][5]

The name "jigsaw" came to be associated with the puzzle around 1880 when fretsaws became the tool of choice for cutting the shapes, Since fretsaws are distinct from jigsaws, the name appears to be a misnomer,[1] Cardboard jigsaw puzzles appeared during the late 1800s, but were slow to replace the wooden jigsaw due to the manufacturer's belief that cardboard puzzles would be perceived as being of low quality, and the fact that profit margins on wooden jigsaws were larger,[1]

Wooden jigsaw pieces, cut by hand

Jigsaw puzzles soared in popularity during the Great Depression, as they provided a cheap, long-lasting, recyclable form of entertainment,[1][6] It was around this time that jigsaws evolved to become more complex and more appealing to adults,[1] They were also given away in product promotions, and used in advertising, with customers completing an image of the product being promoted,[1][6]

Sales of wooden jigsaw puzzles fell after World War II as improved wages led to price increases, while at the same time improvements in manufacturing processes made cardboard jigsaws more attractive,[6]

According to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, doing jigsaw puzzles is one of many activities that can help keep the brain active and may contribute to reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease,[7]

Modern construction

Paperboard jigsaw pieces

Most modern jigsaw puzzles are made out of paperboard since they are easier and cheaper to mass-produce than the original wooden models, An enlarged photograph or printed reproduction of a painting or other two-dimensional artwork is glued onto the cardboard before cutting, This board is then fed into a press, The press forces a set of hardened steel blades of the desired shape through the board until it is fully cut, This procedure is similar to making shaped cookies with a cookie cutter, The forces involved, however, are tremendously greater and a typical 1000-piece puzzle requires a press that can generate upwards of 700 tons of force to push the knives of the puzzle die through the board, A puzzle die is a flat board, often made from plywood, which has slots cut or burned in the same shape as the knives that are used, These knives are set into the slots and covered in a compressible material, typically foam rubber, which serves to eject the cut puzzle pieces,

Beginning in the 1930s, jigsaw puzzles were cut using large hydraulic presses which now cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, The cuts gave a very snug fit, but the cost limited jigsaw puzzle manufacture only to large corporations, Recent roller press design achieve the same effect, at a lower cost,[citation needed] By the early 1960s, Tower Press was the world's largest maker of jigsaw puzzles, acquired by Waddingtons in 1969,[8]

New technology has enabled laser-cutting of wooden or acrylic jigsaw puzzles, The advantage of cutting with a laser is that the puzzle can be custom cut into any size, any shape, with any size (or any number) of pieces, Many museums have laser cut acrylic puzzles made of some of their more important pieces of art so that children visiting the museum can see the original piece and then assemble a jigsaw puzzle of the image that is also in the same shape as the piece of art, Acrylic is used because the pieces are very durable, waterproof, and can withstand continued use without the image fading, or the pieces wearing out, or becoming frayed, Also, because the print and cut patterns are computer based, lost pieces can be manufactured without remaking the entire puzzle,

Variations

Jigsaw puzzle software allowing rotation of pieces,

A three dimensional puzzle composed of several two dimensional puzzles stacked on top of one another,

A puzzle without a picture

Jigsaw puzzles come in a variety of sizes, Smaller puzzles are often considered to be those of 300, 500, and 750 pieces, More sophisticated, but still common, jigsaw puzzles come in sizes of 1,000, 1,500, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000, 6,000, 7,500, 8,000, 9,000, 13,200, 18,000, 24,000, 32,000 and 40,000 pieces,

There are also smaller jigsaw puzzles that are geared towards children, and are rated by the number of pieces they contain, For very young children, a puzzle with as few as 4 to 9 'large' size pieces (so not a choking hazard) are common, These are usually made of wood or plastic, to maintain durability, and are able to be cleaned without being damaged,

The most common layout for a thousand-piece puzzle is 38 pieces by 27 pieces, for a total count of 1,026 pieces, The majority of 500-piece puzzles are 27 pieces by 19 pieces, A few puzzles are made double-sided, so that they can be solved from either side, This adds a level of complexity, because it cannot be certain that the correct side of the piece is being viewed and assembled with the other pieces,

"Family puzzles" come in 100–550 pieces with three different sized pieces from large to small, The pieces are placed from large to small going in one direction or towards the middle of the puzzle, This allows a family of puzzlers of different skill levels and different-sized hands to work on the puzzle at the same time, Companies like Springbok, Cobble Hill, Ravensburger, and Suns Out make this type of specialty puzzle,

There are also three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles, Many of these are made of wood or styrofoam and require the puzzle to be solved in a certain order; some pieces will not fit in if others are already in place, Also common are puzzle boxes: simple three-dimensional jigsaw puzzles with a small drawer or box in the center for storage,

Another type of jigsaw puzzle, which is considered a 3-D puzzle, is a puzzle globe, Like a 2-D puzzle, a globe puzzle is often made of plastic and the assembled pieces form a single layer, But the final form is a three-dimensional shape, Most globe puzzles have designs representing spherical shapes such as the Earth, the Moon, and historical globes of the Earth,

There are also computer versions of jigsaw puzzles, which have the advantages of requiring zero cleanup as well as no risk of losing any pieces, Many computer-based jigsaw puzzles do not allow pieces to be rotated, so all pieces are displayed in their correct orientation, These puzzles are thus considerably easier than a physical jigsaw puzzle with the same number of pieces, A computer puzzle website can allow users to choose their own puzzle size, cut design, and image, or upload their own images to use as puzzles,[9] An online jigsaw version of Trolleholm Castle in Sweden may be worked and timed for speed of finishing,[10] The New Yorker Magazine subscription website preserves images of the magazine's cover illustrations as jigsaw puzzles which are timed and offer several levels of difficulty,

In 2016 was introduced a computer version of puzzle globe, the immersive panorama jigsaw, which is based on the use of equirectangular images taken by 360-degree camera, Despite the physical spherical jigsaw, the player, who resides in the perfect center of the globe, assembles triangular shaped interlocking pieces around him, When complete, this puzzle produces a full-degree panorama all around the player, An example of immersive jigsaw is Sitespot, which also enriches the gaming experience with the scene soundscape and allows pieces to be displayed rotated,

Jigsaw puzzles can vary greatly in price depending on the complexity, number of pieces, and brand, Children's puzzles can be as cheap as around $5,00 while larger puzzles can be closer to $50,00, The most expensive puzzle to date was sold for $27,000 in 2005 at a charitable auction for The Golden Retriever Foundation,[11]

Several word puzzle games use pieces similar to those used in jigsaw puzzles, Examples include Alfa-Lek, Jigsaw Words, Nab-It!, Puzzlage, Typ-Dom, Word Jigsaw, and Yottsugo,[12][citation needed]

Puzzle pieces

A "whimsy" piece in a wooden jigsaw puzzle

A 3D jigsaw puzzle

Many puzzles are termed "fully interlocking", This means that adjacent pieces are connected in such a way that if one piece is moved horizontally, the other pieces move with it, preserving the connection, Sometimes the connection is tight enough to pick up a solved part by holding one piece,

Some fully interlocking puzzles have pieces all of a similar shape, with rounded tabs out on opposite ends, with corresponding blanks cut into the intervening sides to receive the tabs of adjacent pieces, Other fully interlocking puzzles may have tabs and blanks variously arranged on each piece, but they usually have four sides, and the numbers of tabs and blanks thus add up to four, The uniform-shaped fully interlocking puzzles, sometimes called "Japanese Style", are the most difficult, because the differences in shapes between pieces can be very subtle,[citation needed]

Most jigsaw puzzles are square, rectangular, or round, with edge pieces that have one side that is either straight or smoothly curved to create this shape, plus four corner pieces if the puzzle is square or rectangular, Some jigsaw puzzles have edge pieces that are cut just like all the rest of the interlocking pieces, with no smooth edge, to make them more challenging, Other puzzles are designed so the shape of the whole puzzle forms a figure, such as an animal, The edge pieces may vary more in these cases,

The pieces of spherical jigsaw, like immersive panorama jigsaw, can be triangular shaped, according to the rules of tessellation of the geoid primitive,

World records

Largest commercially available jigsaw puzzles

Pieces Name of puzzle Company Year Size [cm] Area [m2]

48,000 Around the World Grafika 2017 768,0 × 204,0 15,667

42,000 La vuelta al Mundo Educa 2017 749,0 × 157,0 11,759

40,320 Memorable Disney Moments Ravensburger 2016 680,0 × 192,0 13,056

33,600 Wild Life Educa 2014 570,0 × 157,0 8,949

32,256 New York City Window Ravensburger 2014 544,0 × 192,0 10,445

32,256 Double Retrospect Ravensburger 2010 544,0 × 192,0 10,445

24,000 Life, The greatest puzzle Educa 2007 428,0 × 157,0 6,720

20,000 Weltkarte Weltbild 2004 272,0 × 220,0 5,984

The world's largest commercially available jigsaw puzzle (Jan, 2018) is produced by Grafika and contains 48,000 pieces showing 208 leading places and landmarks painted by Adrian Chesterman in a collage,

In 2016 the German company Ravensburger released their biggest puzzle, It shows 10 scenes from Disney works and has 40,320 pieces, measuring 680 cm by 192 cm when assembled,[13]

Largest-sized jigsaw puzzles

The world's largest-sized jigsaw puzzle measured 5,428,8 m2 (58,435 sq ft) with 21,600 pieces, each measuring a Guinness World Records maximum size of 50 cm by 50 cm, It was assembled on 3 November 2002 by 777 people at the former Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong,[14]

The jigsaw with the greatest number of pieces had 551,232 pieces and measured 14,85 × 23,20 m (48 ft 8,64 in × 76 ft 1,38 in), It was assembled on 24 September 2011 at Phú Thọ Indoor Stadium in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, by students from the University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City,[15][16]

Cultural significance

The current most recognized symbol for autism is the "autism awareness" ribbon, which features red, blue, and yellow jigsaw pieces,

The logo of Wikipedia is a globe made out of jigsaw pieces, The incomplete sphere appears to have some pieces missing, symbolizing the room to add new knowledge,

Art and entertainment

The central antagonist in the Saw film franchise is named Jigsaw,[17]

In the 1933 Laurel and Hardy short Me and My Pal, several characters attempt to complete a large jigsaw puzzle,[18]

Symbol for autism

Jigsaw puzzle pieces were first used as a symbol for autism in 1963 by the United Kingdom's National Autistic Society,[19] The organization chose jigsaw pieces for their logo to represent the "puzzling" nature of autism and the inability to "fit in" due to social differences, and also because jigsaw pieces were recognizable and otherwise unused,[20] Puzzle pieces have since been incorporated into the logos and promotional materials of many organizations, including the Autism Society of America and Autism Speaks,

Proponents of the autism rights movement oppose the jigsaw puzzle iconography, stating that metaphors such as "puzzling" and "incomplete" are harmful to autistic people, Critics of the puzzle piece symbol instead advocate for a rainbow-colored infinity symbol representing diversity,[21]