Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
first lady
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images & Videos
First ladies at the George W. Bush Presidential Center Martha Washington and George Washington and their children Mary Todd Lincoln Woodrow Wilson and Edith Wilson Eleanor Roosevelt and Soong Mei-ling John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy
How Rosalynn Carter redefined the role of first lady
Nancy Reagan, Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Raisa Gorbachev Michelle Obama Abigail Adams
For Students
first lady summary
Related Questions
Read Next
United States Presidential Election of 2012. Mitt Romney. Official portrait of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office, Dec. 6, 2012 after his reelection Nov. 6, 2012. Official portrait Obama
10 Democrats Who Made History
President Kennedy address on Test Ban Treaty, White House, Oval Office, July 26, 1963. President John F. Kennedy, President Kennedy
11 Memorable Quotes from U.S. Presidential Debates
Jimmy Carter with the Nobel Peace Prize he was awarded in 2002.
An Interview with Jimmy Carter: Global Challenges to the United States in a New Millennium
The Judiciary Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives receiving a deputation of female suffragists, January 11, 1871, a lady delegate (identified as Victoria Woodhull) reading her argument (cont'd)
Who Was the First Woman to Run for President of the United States?
Discover
Ethel Rosenberg arrested in August 1950. Photograph dated Aug. 8, 1950. American civilians executed for espionage. Spies, communists, Julius Rosenberg
Spies Like Us: 10 Famous Names in the Espionage Game
Drinking water is poured into a glass.
Water Fluoridation: Just the Facts
Berries and leaves of the bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) plant. Poisonous plant
7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Portrait of a mountain gorilla at a short distance. gorilla close up portrait.The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)
Falling Stars: 10 of the Most Famous Endangered Species
Shadow of a man holding large knife in his hand inside of some dark, spooky buiding
7 of History's Most Notorious Serial Killers
Periodical Cicada, Adult, Magicicada spp. Requires 17 years to complete development. Nymph splits its skin, and transforms into an adult. Feeds on sap of tree roots. Northern Illinois Brood. This brood is the largest emergence of cicadas anywhere
Why Do Some Cicadas Appear Only Every 17 Years?
King Cobra snake in Malaysia. (reptile)
9 of the World’s Deadliest Snakes

First ladies of the United States

in first lady
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written by
Betty Boyd Caroli
Betty Boyd Caroli has written extensively about American first ladies. A graduate of Oberlin College, she holds a master's degree in Mass Communications from the Annenberg School of the University of Pennsylvania...
Betty Boyd Caroli
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History

News •

Melania Trump statue missing from her hometown in Slovenia • May 17, 2025, 2:42 AM ET (BBC)

The table provides a list of the first ladies of the United States.

First ladies of the United States
first lady president
Abigail Adams
 Abigail Adams John Adams
Adams, Louisa
 Louisa Adams John Quincy Adams
Arthur, Ellen
 Ellen Arthur Chester A. Arthur
Jill Biden
 Jill Biden Joe Biden
Barbara Bush
 Barbara Bush George Bush
Laura Bush
 Laura Welch Bush George W. Bush
Rosalynn Carter
 Rosalynn Carter Jimmy Carter
Frances Cleveland.
 Frances Cleveland Grover Cleveland
Hillary Clinton
 Hillary Rodham Clinton Bill Clinton
Coolidge, Grace
 Grace Coolidge Calvin Coolidge
Mamie Eisenhower.
 Mamie Eisenhower Dwight D. Eisenhower
Fillmore, Abigail
 Abigail Fillmore Millard Fillmore
Betty Ford
 Betty Ford Gerald R. Ford
Lucretia Garfield
 Lucretia Garfield James A. Garfield
Grant, Julia
 Julia Grant Ulysses S. Grant
Harding, Florence
 Florence Harding Warren G. Harding
Harrison, Anna
 Anna Harrison William Henry Harrison
Harrison, Caroline
 Caroline Harrison Benjamin Harrison
Hayes, Lucy
 Lucy Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes
Hoover, Lou
 Lou Hoover Herbert Hoover
Rachel Jackson
 Rachel Jackson Andrew Jackson
Silhouette of Martha Jefferson, the only known image of her.
 Martha Jefferson Thomas Jefferson
Eliza Johnson
 Eliza Johnson Andrew Johnson
Lady Bird Johnson
 Lady Bird Johnson Lyndon B. Johnson
Jacqueline Kennedy
 Jacqueline Kennedy John F. Kennedy
Harriet Lane
 Harriet Lane James Buchanan
Mary Todd Lincoln
 Mary Todd Lincoln Abraham Lincoln
Dolley Madison
 Dolley Madison James Madison
McKinley, Ida
 Ida McKinley William McKinley
Elizabeth Monroe
 Elizabeth Monroe James Monroe
Pat Nixon
 Pat Nixon Richard M. Nixon
Michelle Obama
 Michelle Obama Barack Obama
Jane Pierce
 Jane Pierce Franklin Pierce
Sarah Polk
 Sarah Polk James K. Polk
Nancy Reagan
 Nancy Reagan Ronald Reagan
Edith Roosevelt
 Edith Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt
 Eleanor Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt
Taft, Helen
 Helen Taft William Howard Taft
Margaret Taylor Zachary Taylor
Truman, Bess
 Bess Truman Harry S. Truman
Taking center stage
 Melania Trump Donald Trump
Julia Tyler
 Julia Tyler John Tyler
Letitia Tyler
 Letitia Tyler John Tyler
Hannah Van Buren
 Hannah Van Buren Martin Van Buren
Martha Washington
 Martha Washington George Washington
Wilson, Edith
 Edith Wilson Woodrow Wilson
Ellen Wilson
 Ellen Wilson Woodrow Wilson