How Well Do You Know the Presidential First Families?

During the War of 1812 (which actually lasted from 1812 to 1815), British troops marched on Washington, D.C., in August 1814, burning several government buildings including the White House. Though the story is often told as if President James Madison’s wife, First Lady Dolley Madison, removed George Washington’s portrait from the burning building herself, real events are less dramatic: A day before the attack, she asked a servant to save the presidential painting known as the “Lansdowne Portrait” by breaking its frame and removing the canvas with a knife.

President William Howard Taft kept multiple cows at the White House during his term from 1909 to 1913. In 1910, he received Pauline Wayne as a gift from a Wisconsin senator to replace his last cow, Mooly Wooly. Though Pauline was mainly kept for her dairy production — reportedly 25 pounds of butter a week and 9 gallons of milk a day — she also became popular in the media, and was even interviewed by “The Washington Post.”

Esther Cleveland was born in 1893 during her father’s second term, making her the only child of a President to be born in the White House. President Grover Cleveland holds a few other distinctions as chief executive: He’s the only President to serve two nonconsecutive terms, one of just two unmarried Presidents elected to office, and the only President to be wed at the White House.

It’s a far-reaching connection, but both the 43rd and 44th U.S. Presidents can trace their family lineage back to a couple named Samuel and Sarah Hinckley, who lived in Massachusetts in the 17th century. Barack Obama is also in the same family tree as the 33rd President, Harry Truman, and George W. Bush is a ninth cousin of his Vice President, Dick Cheney.

Lucy Hayes, the wife of 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes, received her degree from Wesleyan Female College at the age of 18. She later became known for her decision to ban alcohol from White House events, earning her the nickname “Lemonade Lucy.”

Pets have always been beloved members of the first family. While dogs are the most common choice for a presidential pet, there have been some unusual selections over the years, such as ponies, snakes, sheep, and Calvin Coolidge’s raccoon, Rachel. Rachel walked around on a leash but was apparently the master of mischief during her family’s tenure.

There are few wedding venues more exclusive than the White House. A total of 18 weddings have been held at the famed residence, starting with Lucy Payne Washington, the sister of First Lady Dolley Madison (wife of fourth President, James Madison). The First Lady’s sister married Thomas Todd at the White House in 1819.

Grover Cleveland was elected President while he was still a bachelor, so his sister Rose Cleveland took on the duties of First lady for part of his first term. He later became the first and only President to be married at the White House, and his bride, Frances, became First Lady after their wedding in June 1886.

Although a handful of Presidents never fathered children, the majority had at least one child, with the average being four children. The 10th President, John Tyler, fathered 16 children — 15 with his two wives and one born out of wedlock.

There are several constitutional requirements for being elected President of the United States, but being married isn’t one of them. Still, every past President tied the knot except James Buchanan, who remained a lifelong bachelor.

The Roosevelts are one of the most famous families in American history, most notable for Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, fifth cousins who held office roughly 30 years apart. Not only is FDR related to 11 other U.S. Presidents, but the family also has ties to legendary British leader Winston Churchill and World War II General Douglas MacArthur.

Louisa Adams, the wife of John Quincy Adams, was born in London to a British mother and an American father. She remained the first and only First Lady born outside of America until Melania Trump, who was born in Slovenia.

Susan Ford was in the 1975 class of the Holton-Arms School in Bethesda, Maryland, while her father, Gerald Ford, was in office. When her prom committee asked if the White House could host, she conveyed the request to the head usher, who agreed conditionally. All 74 students who attended had to submit their personal information a month in advance. The President and First Lady were on a trip to Europe at the time, so Susan’s aunt Janet chaperoned.

When he arrived at the White House as a Christmas gift from a cousin in 1940, Fala — a Scottish Terrier whose full name was Murray, the Outlaw of Falahill — quickly became FDR’s favorite, rarely leaving his side. Often photographed with the President at speeches or on diplomatic visits abroad, Fala was popular with the media, making him a beloved figure for the American public.

In a 2014 interview, singer-songwriter Neil Diamond explained that his 1969 smash hit had actually been written about his wife, Marcia Murphey, but he couldn’t fit her name into the song’s rhyme scheme. Instead, he took inspiration from President John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline.

Two father-son pairs have been elected as President of the United States. John Adams served as the second President, while his son John Quincy Adams was the sixth President. Almost 200 years later, George H.W. Bush was the 41st President of the United States, and son George W. Bush was elected as the 43rd President.

The first family has often been a very literal descriptor, with many children making the White House their home over the years. However, five Presidents never fathered children: George Washington, James Polk, Warren Harding, James Buchanan, and Andrew Jackson.

John Quincy Adams was the oldest son of the second U.S. President, John Adams, who had six children, though only four lived to adulthood. John Quincy Adams spent much of his childhood in Europe, where his father was a diplomat during and after the Revolutionary War. After graduating from Harvard and practicing law, John Quincy Adams served as a U.S. senator and secretary of state before becoming President in 1825.

Richard Nixon was a skilled speaker who climbed the political ladder in part due to his rhetorical abilities. His 1952 “Checkers” speech during the run-up to his election as President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s VP helped swing public sentiment to the Republicans, and is considered an early example of the power of televised political speeches to reach an audience.

We have a comedian to thank for the widespread use of the term used to describe the President’s family. Vaughn Meader was famous for his impressions of John F. Kennedy, and his comedy album, titled “First Family,” won the 1962 Grammy for Album of the Year.