Nordic nations have been attending State Visits at the White House since August 24, 1944, when President Sveinn Björnsson of Iceland visited Washington D.C.
Geography, history, and friendship have been the driving force of official ties between the United States and Canada. In 1927, our two countries exchanged ambassadors and began a long diplomatic relationship.
When Chinese Vice Premiere Deng Xiaoping and his wife Madame Zhuo Lin came to the White House in 1979, it marked the highest-ranking Chinese guest since 1943.
Music has been an essential part of life in the White House from the earliest days of our nation, not only as a "companion" to divert, delight, and "sweeten many hours," as Thomas Jefferson professed, but also as an element of the pageantry accompanying international diplomacy. Through the years the United States Marine Band has musically represented the nation before
Throughout White House history, the Diplomatic Reception Room has gone through successive restorations and been used for many different purposes. The fireplace in the room was opened up in 1935 to provide President Franklin D. Roosevelt with a setting for his famous Fireside Chats. The fireplace is a centerpiece of the room, which is still used for presidents and first ladies
The White House South Portico is one of the most defining architectural features of the Executive Mansion. James Hoban, designer and builder of the White House, completed the South Portico in 1824 for President James Monroe. In 1948, architect Lorenzo S. Winslow built a balcony on the South Portico for President Harry Truman, which then led to a full renovation of the
The White House and its residence share the holiday cheer felt by all of the country this time of year. Since 1961, the Executive Mansion decorates its halls with a holiday theme. For their second year in the White House, President Joseph R. Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden chose the theme, "We the People." The theme was inspired by