For hundreds of years, presidents — and their wives — have filtered through the White House.
While no first lady is alike, many follow a pattern: They are often younger than their
husbands. And, as it turns out, some presidents and first ladies have pretty big age differences.
The president and first lady with the largest age difference to date are President John Tyler
and his wife Julia Tyler. There were 30 years separating John and Julia; John being the first
U.S. President to marry while in office. President Tyler had formerly been the vice
president to President William Harrison before the latter died unexpectedly shortly after taking
office. John was previously married to his first wife, Letitia before she died at the age of 51.
Julia caught the eye of her husband after her wealthy parents brought her to the capital for
the social season. After unexpectedly losing her father in a naval gun explosion, John,
who was recently widowed, comforted Julia in their shared grief. The couple married
when Julia was just 24 years old, and their age gap quickly became the topic
of public conversation. The criticism was overshadowed as Julia was remembered as an
outgoing and supportive first lady. According to The White House, she was once quoted as saying:
"Nothing appears to delight the President more than ... to hear people sing my praises."
President Tyler's legacy includes the annexation of Texas as a state in 1845,
as well as his repeated use of the presidential veto. He was the first
president to use the override, establishing a critical system of checks and balances. The
former president died at the age of 71 in 1862, survived by his wife whose death came in 1889.
"He's like, 'I live in the most expensive house in America. It's f---ing fabulous.’
So, like, she, like, looked at it and was like, 'This is fabulous!'"
Not far behind President John Tyler and his wife Julia, President Grover Cleveland was 27
years senior to his wife Frances Cleveland. The former Democratic president was one of few to
assume the role of an unmarried bachelor when he entered the White House for his
first term at 47 years old. His sister, Rose, took on the role of the first lady by default,
much to her own dismay. Rose is remembered for her desire to pursue her educational goals,
rather than her eagerness to assume social responsibilities.
President Cleveland married his wife Frances in 1886. The pair met her through her parents,
as her father was a law partner to her future hubby for years. That said, Grover certainly
took cringeworthy age gap relationships to new levels — the former president had known his wife
her entire life, even gifting her a baby carriage after her birth. The former first lady took on the
role at just 21 years old, the youngest to ever assume the position. The nation loved her, and
she is remembered as being an excellent hostess who held weekly receptions at the White House.
President Cleveland was the only president to have left the White House after serving
his term … only to return to the role four years later. He is not remembered as being
one of the nation's greatest leaders — but he did leave an impact in regard to the executive
branch. He is often recognized for his use of executive privilege, including the deployment
of federal troops during the Pullman Strike and his decision to send warships to Panama.
President Benjamin Harrison is among the ranks of presidents with decades between their wives.
The former leader of the free world was a year younger than his first wife, Caroline,
whom he married in 1853. The two crossed paths after President Harrison studied under Caroline's
father in college. It would be decades later that Harrison assumed the presidency, and while his
political career began to rise, Caroline was a dutiful mother to the pair's two children.
The former Republican president took office in 1889, after receiving 100,000
less popular votes than Grover Cleveland. He went on to be remembered for his foreign policy,
helping to establish the first Pan-American Congress, as well as his strengthening of the
Navy. He attempted to run again in 1892 but lost to his predecessor, Cleveland.
As families across the nation become increasingly more interested in the home life of the president,
Caroline quickly became the object of attention during her time at the White House. She oversaw
renovations to the White House, expanding it to comfortably account for the many family members
she and her husband brought to the mansion. The former first lady was behind the founding
of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and she also helped raise
money to found John Hopkins University. She died in The White House in the midst of her husband's
second presidential campaign in 1892. President Harrison married his second wife Mary in 1896,
who was 24 years younger than him, and they were married until he died in 1901.
President Donald Trump has been the center of endless controversy ever since he went
from a celebrity personality to the leader of the United States. And his relationships
with women are one of the many things he's received criticism for. The former
president has been married three times, but his longest marriage — and current,
as of this video — is with the much younger former model, Melania Trump. With 24 years between them,
the couple has one of the biggest age gaps of all presidents and first ladies.
"He was very charming, and we had a great sparkle."
The Slovenian model moved to the United States for work in 1996. She met Trump
two years later after they were introduced at a party during New York Fashion Week.
The two tied the knot in 2005 and welcomed Barron, their first and only child together,
a year later. Trump also shares Donald Jr., Eric, and Ivanka with his first wife Ivana,
and another daughter, Tiffany, with his second wife, Marla Maples.
Trump had quite a polarizing presidential term, with many Americans either supporting
him wholeheartedly or despising him. As for Melania, her approval rating with the American
people was ranked the lowest of any first lady in history. Based on a poll conducted
by SSRS for CNN, the former first lady had a 47% disapproval rating at the end of her term.
President James Madison and his wife Dolley make the list of notable age gaps with James 17 years
Dolley's senior. The couple married in 1794, a few years after the future first lady lost her
first husband to yellow fever. The founding father dealt with his own loss as well, after previously
getting his heart broken by a medical student that he met through his friend Thomas Jefferson.
The former president began his first term in 1809 and served until 1817. He is widely regarded
due to his writing of The Federalist Papers alongside Alexander Hamilton and John Jay. The
Princeton graduate is known as "The Father of the Constitution" for helping to draft the document
and get it ratified. He is also credited with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights.
Dolley was one of the most well-liked first ladies of all time. She had a lively personality and was
receptive to everyone, but it wasn't just her charm and outgoing personality that left a mark
on history. The first lady played an integral role in saving important documents from the White
House when British troops set fire to the mansion during the War of 1812. In addition to documents,
she rescued gold, silver, and a famous portrait of President George Washington during the invasion.
She continued to be an important fixture in American politics even after her husband's
death in 1836, and she was even awarded an honorary seat in Congress to witness debates.
Following close behind James Madison and Dolley, President Woodrow Wilson and First Lady Edith had
a sizable age gap with Woodrow 16 years older than his wife. The pair were both widows when they met
in 1915, with the former president crossing paths with Edith just six months after his first wife,
Ellen, passed away. The two tied the knot the same year, despite advice from Woodrow's
colleagues that the quick marriage would cause unfavorable opinions among the American public.
Woodrow's presidency was characterized by his declaration to enter the United States into World
War I in 1917. After Germany signed the Armistice ending the war a year later, the Princeton
graduate formed the League of Nations. He also shepherded the 19th Amendment, which allowed
women to vote for the first time. His legacy also included overseeing laws that put an end
to child labor, as well as advocating for better pay and working conditions for railroad workers.
While the nation was in crisis, Edith became the face of rationing during the war. The first lady
opted for used clothing, set a precedent for "meatless Mondays," and even borrowed sheep
to tend to the White House lawn in an effort to save money. After Woodrow suffered a stroke
in the fall of 1919, Edith assumed the role of his secretary and shielded the severity of
his illness from the public. She became known as the "first woman to run the government" and made
several important decisions for the executive branch during her husband's second term.
"Have you opened all of your wedding gifts?"
"Well, I've opened quite a few of them and I've sent them all to Washington."
One of America's favorite White House pairings was none other than President John F. Kennedy
and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy. President Kennedy was 12 years older than his wife,
whom he met in 1951. The couple tied the knot a few years later and went on to have two children
together, Caroline, and John F. Kennedy Jr. Before Kennedy assumed his role as President in 1961,
he and Jacqueline had already weathered their fair share of storms. Their marriage was characterized
by hardships, including fertility issues that led to a stillborn, as well as their fourth child
dying just 39 hours after he was born. Kennedy infamously had a wandering eye as well, with his
rumored affair with Marilyn Monroe continuing to make headlines even decades after his death.
The Democratic president made huge strides in the Civil Rights Movement,
and he also worked to slow the spread of nuclear weapons with the test ban treaty of 1963. However,
his time in office was cut short as he was tragically assassinated while riding in the
back of a motorcade in 1963. At just 34 years old, and with the eyes of the nation upon her,
Kennedy became a widow — but she was also a symbol of strength and courage in her time
of grief. She is remembered as having a passion for arts and history, leading her to establish
a White House Fine Arts Committee which worked to restore important artifacts of the country's past.
President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy have gone down in history as one of America's
most star-studded couples. The two had all the ingredients of a show-stopping pairing,
with President Reagan and his political career and Nancy's career as a famous actor
and Broadway star. Though Ronald was over 10 years older than his wife — the age gap
did little to hinder their close relationship. The two met in 1949 after Nancy reached out to
Ronald — who was president of the Screen Actors Guild at the time — and an actor
himself — over issues relating to an actor who shared her name. The actor in question had ties
to the Communist Party and Nancy didn't want to be entangled in the controversy.
The pair hit it off and eventually went on to wed in 1952. Twenty-nine years later,
Ronald became president and served two terms. Just months after his inauguration,
he was almost assassinated during his time in office, but he quickly recovered from
the gunshot wound. The former president is credited with growing the economy and
strengthening the country's defense, as well as cutting government spending and taxes.
As a huge advocate against drug and alcohol misuse, Nancy went on to champion her own
initiatives during her time in the White House. In 1985, the former first lady hosted 17 countries
for a White House conference on curbing drug and alcohol use among young people.
"Say 'Yes' to your life, and, when it comes to drugs and alcohol, just say 'No.'"
There are quite a few more presidents who could probably pass as their wives' fathers,
but we're skipping ahead to the present day to take a look at
President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
Although they have the smallest age gap of all presidential couples on this list,
President Biden is still nine years older than his wife. The couple has had a long history together,
and it hasn't been without its hardships. His first wife, Neilia,
and their one-year-old daughter Naomi, tragically died in a car accident in
1972. He became a single dad to their two sons, Beau and Hunter until Jill entered his life.
In 1975, Joe met Jill, and the two went on to tie the knot in 1977, and four years later,
they welcomed their daughter, Ashley. In his 2007 memoir "Promises to Keep," he noted:
"[Jill] gave me back my life ... She made me start to think my family might be whole again."
The former first lady has stood by her husband's lifelong political career,
including his presidential campaigns in 1988 and 2008.
While Joe took office in 2021, the duo traded their titles of former vice president and
second lady, for those of acting president and first lady. The Pennsylvania native took
over the nation during the gripes of the COVID-19 Pandemic and set vaccine goals
to ensure that a vast majority of adults were fully vaccinated against the virus.
"This is a global health emergency. If we really want to put COVID behind us,
we have to keep up the fight together."
Jill has continued her career as a community college educator while she serves as first lady,
and has championed several White House initiatives to end cancer.