When she passed away at age 81, Dolley Madison was eulogized by President Zachary Taylor as the country's "first lady," believed to be the first known public reference to the term.

In Millie's Book, the Bush's dog, Millie, describes a day in the life of George Herbert Walker Bush and family, discussing morning briefings, deliberations in the Oval Office, and short breaks for squirrel hunting.

John Quincy Adams' first lady found refuge from political life by raising her own silkworms and harvesting her own silk, which she used in her personal sewing.

The first U.S. postage stamp honoring an American woman featured Martha Washington. An 8-cent stamp, it was printed in violet-black ink and issued as part of the 1902 stamp series.

First lady Mary Todd Lincoln became inconsolable after the passing of her son Willie and desperately searched for an outlet for her grief. Shortly after his death, she was introduced to the Lauries, a well-known group of mediums. There is evidence to suggest that she hosted as many as eight séances in the White House and that her husband was even in attendance for at least one of them.

Ulysses S. Grant's wife Julia was born with strabismus, more commonly known as "crossed eyes." When she was younger, one of the best surgeons in the country offered to perform the simple operation that would fix them, but Julia wasn't keen on surgery and declined.

As Florence Harding did not request an autopsy and also destroyed many of her husband's papers, a conspiracy theory was put forward in The Strange Death of President Harding, sensationally claiming that she had poisoned her husband, a suggestion that has been entirely discredited, along with the book in which it was published.

Abigail Adams was the wife and closest advisor of John Adams, as well as the mother of John Quincy Adams. She is sometimes considered to have been a Founder of the United States and is now designated as the first Second Lady and second First Lady of the United States, although these titles were not used at the time.

A devout Presbyterian, Sarah Polk banned dancing, card games, and hard liquor at official receptions. Unlike Julia Tyler's waltzes, the Polk entertainments were sedate and sober affairs which earned the First Lady the nickname "Sahara Sarah".

Mrs. Hoover studied Mandarin Chinese while living in China and sometimes spoke to her husband in this language to foil eavesdroppers. Her Chinese name was "Hoo Loo."