Fun facts about the White House

To counteract my earlier post on governance issues at the Smithsonian, I thought I would highlight a few fun factoids on the history of the White House.

First, did you know that the White House went by a variety of names until 1901 when President Theodore Roosevelt declared the official name of "White House." Theodore Roosevelt was also the first president to travel outside the United States. These fun facts are from the White House Facts page.

There are other sources for fun facts though, such as the Rutherford B. Hayes page which announces that he was President when the first telephone was installed in 1879.

You can also view tours and photo essays on the White House History and Tours page.

If you want additional information on the president, check out the library's guide.