Historical figures in White House

The atlas holds 51 people and 133 moments here, from 1789 to 2017. The most recorded lives are Stephen Hawking, George H. W. Bush and Robin Williams. Among them Writers, Political Leaders and Jurists, across the Space Age and the Cold War.

Notable people

1. Stephen Hawking

   from 2008 to 2009

   2 moments here

   English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author whose work on singularities, black-hole thermodynamics, and Hawking radiation reshaped modern…

2. George H. W. Bush

   from 1976 to 1989

   2 moments here

   George Herbert Walker Bush was an American naval aviator, oil executive, congressman, diplomat, director of central intelligence, vice president, and…

3. Robin Williams

   from 1998 to 2008

   2 moments here

   Robin McLaurin Williams was an American actor and comedian, born in Chicago and raised in Illinois, Michigan, and California.…

4. Whitney Houston

   from 1994 to 1997

   2 moments here

   American singer, actress, producer, and cultural icon known for recordings including “I Will Always Love You,” major world tours, film roles, and…

5. Albert Einstein

   in 1921

   1 moment here

   German-born theoretical physicist who transformed modern physics through special and general relativity, foundational work on quantum theory, and…

6. George Washington

   in 1789

   1 moment here

   George Washington was a Virginia surveyor, planter, military commander, revolutionary leader, constitutional statesman, and the first president of…

7. Thomas Edison

   in 1878

   1 moment here

   American inventor and industrialist whose laboratories developed and commercialized technologies in telegraphy, recorded sound, electric lighting and…

8. Thomas Jefferson

   in 1801

   1 moment here

   Thomas Jefferson was an American lawyer, Virginia political leader, diplomat, secretary of state, vice president, and third president of the United…

9. Elvis Presley

   in 1970

   1 moment here

   American singer and actor Elvis Aaron Presley, widely known as the “King of Rock and Roll.” Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, he grew up in Memphis,…

10. Pope John Paul II

    in 1979

    1 moment here

    Karol Józef Wojtyła (1920–2005), Pope John Paul II from 1978, was a Polish Catholic priest, bishop, cardinal, and pope.…

11. Fidel Castro

    in 1959

    1 moment here

    Cuban revolutionary and political leader who led the 26th of July Movement against Fulgencio Batista, became Cuba's prime minister in 1959, and later…

12. Gabriel García Márquez

    in 1987

    1 moment here

    Colombian novelist, journalist, screenwriter, and Nobel laureate whose life moved between Colombia, Europe, Cuba, the United States, Mexico, and…

13. Henry Ford

    in 1915

    1 moment here

    American industrialist and founder of Ford Motor Company. Ford grew up in rural Michigan, worked in Detroit engineering and machine shops, developed…

14. Jean-Paul Sartre

    in 1945

    1 moment here

    French philosopher, writer, and political activist associated with existentialism. His documented movements include education and teaching across…

15. Pope Benedict XVI

    in 2008

    1 moment here

    Joseph Alois Ratzinger (1927–2022), Pope Benedict XVI, was a German Catholic theologian, archbishop, cardinal, prefect of the Congregation for the…

16. Mother Teresa

    in 1985

    1 moment here

    Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, known as Mother Teresa or Saint Teresa of Calcutta, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun.…

17. Theodore Roosevelt

    in 1901

    1 moment here

    Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (1858–1919) was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909.…

18. Jawaharlal Nehru

    in 1949

    1 moment here

    Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and statesman who became independent India’s first prime minister, serving from 15 August 1947 until his…

19. Kofi Annan

    in 1998

    1 moment here

    Ghanaian diplomat and statesman who served as Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006.…

20. Simón Bolívar

    in 1807

    1 moment here

    Venezuelan military and political leader known as El Libertador. Bolívar led revolutionary campaigns that helped secure the independence of…

21. Indira Gandhi

    in 1971

    1 moment here

    Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi was an Indian stateswoman who served as prime minister from 1966 to 1977 and from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.…

22. Nadine Gordimer

    in 1961

    1 moment here

    South African novelist, short-story writer, and anti-apartheid activist whose work examined apartheid, race, power, and moral responsibility.…

23. Gabriela Mistral

    in 1938

    1 moment here

    Chilean poet, educator, journalist, and diplomat born Lucila Godoy Alcayaga. Mistral taught across Chile, worked on Mexican educational reform,…

24. Selena

    in 1994

    1 moment here

    Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, known mononymously as Selena, was an American Tejano singer, songwriter, fashion designer, and business owner.…

Moments

1. 1951 Visited President Truman Elizabeth II
2. 1952 Return to the renovated White House Harry S. Truman
3. 1953 First presidential inauguration Dwight D. Eisenhower
4. 1953 Medical treatment at Bethesda Umm Kulthum
5. 1954 Churchill conference in Washington Dwight D. Eisenhower
6. 1955 Settled at Hickory Hill John F. Kennedy
7. 1957 Delivers “Give Us the Ballot” Martin Luther King Jr.
8. 1958 Returned to Georgetown John F. Kennedy
9. 1958 Meets President Eisenhower Martin Luther King Jr.
10. 1959 United States working visit Fidel Castro
11. 1960 Announced presidential candidacy John F. Kennedy
12. 1961 Farewell Address from the Oval Office Dwight D. Eisenhower
13. 1961 Visit with President Kennedy Helen Keller
14. 1961 Began White House residence John F. Kennedy
15. 1961 Inaugurated at the Capitol John F. Kennedy
16. 1961 Visiting lecturer at the Institute of Contemporary Arts Nadine Gordimer
17. 1961 Meets President Kennedy Martin Luther King Jr.
18. 1963 Delivered the American University peace address John F. Kennedy
19. 1963 Met March on Washington leaders John F. Kennedy
20. 1963 Delivers “I Have a Dream” Martin Luther King Jr.
21. 1963 Meets Kennedy after March on Washington Martin Luther King Jr.
22. 1964 Meets Malcolm X Martin Luther King Jr.
23. 1969 Death at Walter Reed Dwight D. Eisenhower
24. 1970 Meeting President Nixon Elvis Presley
25. 1971 Washington official visit Indira Gandhi
26. 1971 White House meeting with Nixon Golda Meir
27. 1972 White House meeting with Nixon Golda Meir
28. 1973 Washington peace discussions Golda Meir
29. 1973 White House state visit Golda Meir
30. 1974 Presidential campaign announcement Jimmy Carter
31. 1975 Meeting President Ford Margaret Thatcher
32. 1975 National Press Club address Margaret Thatcher
33. 1976 Return to Washington as DCI George H. W. Bush
34. 1978 Camp David Accords signing Jimmy Carter
35. 1979 White House isolation during hostage crisis Jimmy Carter
36. 1979 White House meeting with President Carter Pope John Paul II
37. 1981 Inaugurated at the Capitol Ronald Reagan
38. 1981 First Reagan White House visit Margaret Thatcher
39. 1981 Shot outside Washington Hilton Ronald Reagan
40. 1984 Political meetings in Washington Benazir Bhutto
41. 1985 Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom Mother Teresa
42. 1985 Undergoes surgery at Bethesda Ronald Reagan
43. 1985 White House visit Diana, Princess of Wales
44. 1986 Address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress Corazon Aquino
45. 1986 Meeting with President Reagan at the White House Corazon Aquino
46. 1987 White House meeting with Bill Clinton Gabriel García Márquez
47. 1987 Washington Summit and INF Treaty Mikhail Gorbachev
48. 1987 White House state-visit reception Raisa Gorbacheva
49. 1987 Hosts Washington Summit Ronald Reagan
50. 1989 First White House visit Benazir Bhutto

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