The US Air Force's fleet of four E-4Bs comprises the National Airborne Operations Center at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.

Each E-4B costs $223.2 million to build, according to the US Air Force.

In 2022, the Air Force debuted a $9.5 million E-4B simulator to train pilots, flight engineers, and other crew members to operate the aircraft, according to the US Strategic Command.

The E-4B can fly for 12 hours straight without refueling.

The E-4B possesses more communications capabilities than Air Force One with around 67 satellite dishes and antennas in the ray dome.

The plane's exterior also features thermal and nuclear shielding, and its electrical system can withstand electromagnetic pulses.

The layout includes a command room, conference room, briefing room, operations team work area, communications room, and a rest area, according to the US Air Force.

The plane can seat up to 112 people.

The E-4B isn't just a "doomsday plane." The Secretary of Defense occasionally uses it to travel overseas and hold press briefings.

In the event of a nuclear attack or other apocalyptic scenario, the president, secretary of defense, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff would use the plane as a secure command and control center similar to the Pentagon.

The Secretary of Defense's private quarters are furnished with a bunk and a desk with chairs.

At least one E-4B has been on continuous alert since 1975, ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

In 1959, the customized Boeing 707-153 known as SAM 970 became the new presidential aircraft, replacing the propeller-powered C-121C Super Constellation used by President Dwight Eisenhower. SAM 970 was part of the VC-137 series of planes.

SAM 970 was used by Eisenhower as well as Presidents John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, and Richard Nixon.

In 1962, a newer VC-137C plane replaced it as the primary presidential aircraft, but it still transported vice presidents and other VIPs. The SAM 970 remained part of the presidential fleet until 1996.

Admission to the museum costs $26 per adult. Tickets can be purchased on the Museum of Flight's website.

Nixon took Air Force One to visit China in 1972, becoming the first US president to visit mainland China while holding office.

The plane's maximum speed was 590 miles per hour. The top speed of the current Air Force One, the VC-25A, is 630 miles per hour.

From the plane, the president could reach the White House Situation Room and the National Military Command Center and send secret communications.

Known as the "nuclear football," every president since Eisenhower has been accompanied by the briefcase at all times.

The safe also held military communication center codes.

The two galleys on Air Force One included ovens, refrigerators, and open-burner stovetops. Drink dispensers also served coffee, water, and other beverages.

A plaque next to the phone read "Caution. This phone has no security provisions. Sensitive or classified material should not be discussed."

Presidents met with staff, received briefings, and took phone calls while traveling on Air Force One, earning it the nickname of the "flying Oval Office."

Whenever Johnson adjusted the fake temperature dial, it alerted the captain, who could then decide to change the cabin's temperature or leave it the same, a Museum of Flight guide said.

Johnson's beagles would often howl if they were left in the conference room too long, according to the Museum of Flight.

The private bathroom was much more spacious than the lavatories used by the flight crew and members of the press.

The seating booth featured seat belts in case of rough air.

The roomy sets of four seats featured tables between them.

The workstation was outfitted with a lamp and typewriter.

The staff seating area looked the most similar to regular economy cabin seats.

Like the forward galley, the aft galley was furnished with kitchen appliances and drink dispensers.

First lady Jackie Kennedy chose Air Force One's blue, white, and metallic color scheme.

During his first term, President Donald Trump proposed new Air Force One colors of red, white, and navy blue for Boeing's long-delayed new Air Force One plane. The Air Force rejected his design since the darker colors would have cost more and caused overheating issues. The plane was supposed to be ready in 2024, but its completion timeline has been pushed to 2027.

The rug, which featured the presidential seal in the center, was designed by Kaki Hockersmith, an interior designer based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The rug's design includes the presidential seal, a sunbeam pattern, and olive branches along the border as a symbol of peace.

Trump also used the rug during his first term.

Biden displayed an American flag and a flag with the presidential seal.

Trump's Oval Office features the flags of the Army, the Marine Corps, and the Navy.

The crown molding on the ceiling matched the cream wallpaper.

The gold embellishments matched the gold curtains, which remained in place from Biden's presidency.

Biden also hung portraits of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton together to symbolize the benefits of different opinions, as well as portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

Trump added more portraits with decorative frames to create an Oval Office gallery wall. He also replaced Biden's portrait of FDR with one of George Washington and displayed historic gold urns and baskets from the White House collection on the mantle.

Trump's love of gold decor is well-known. His Trump Tower penthouse in New York City features numerous gilded ceilings, furniture pieces, and artwork. Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, also includes a ballroom covered in gold from floor to ceiling.

In his first term, Trump showed off his design for the plane's colors to ABC News. At his inaugural ball, he cut a cake adorned with a model of the presidential jet.

At the time, Trump's press secretary said he was touring the plane to check out new hardware and tech, adding that the tour would help highlight "the project's failure to deliver a new Air Force One on time as promised."

The 747 Trump toured was owned by the Qatari government. Its tail number, P4-HBJ, features the initials of the country's former prime minister and one of its wealthiest royals, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.

Its interior is more lavish than Air Force One, with an entertainment room, double beds, and en-suite bathrooms.

Yves Pickardt, the project lead from the Parisian design house Alberto Pinto, told Altitudes Magazine in 2018: "Such a project is a dream come true that happens only once or twice in a designer's lifetime. In a way, this is a landmark in aviation history."

"The president wants the airplane sooner, and so we're working with Elon and the team to figure what can we do to pull up the schedule of that aircraft," Ortberg told CNBC.

It may look like a Boeing 747, but it is actually a militarized version of the commercial jet called a VC-25A. The next version is known as the VC-25B.

Air Force One officially refers to any plane transporting the president. Sometimes, the president has flown on a Boeing C-32 — a military version of the 757 — that is more typically used as Air Force Two.

The next presidential jet is based on an even larger 747-8, which has a 224-foot wingspan and is 250 feet long. Its enormous size has even contributed to production delays.

In 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that one difficulty during production included trying to shift one of the VC-25Bs onto jacks — but the weight "significantly exceeded" how much they were designed to hold.

Two empty mini bottles of tequila were also found on board one of the planes that year, sparking an investigation, per the Journal.

After US airspace was shut down in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, President George W. Bush and his staff spent eight hours on Air Force One.

Air Force One has around 238 miles of wiring — twice that of a typical 747 — which is shielded to protect from an EMP.

Electronic countermeasure defense systems located at the top of the plane can also jam enemy radars.

These can be used to confuse heat-seeking missiles. There are also some defense capabilities that remain classified.

Air Force One can also refuel in midair — but that won't be a feature on the next version, seemingly due to financial constraints.

The lower entrance has retractable stairs, which are convenient if rolling staircases aren't available upon landing or due to security concerns.

As NPR reported, President Joe Biden more frequently used the shorter stairs after tripping on a stage in June 2023.

As the plane transports VIPs, throughout much of the project, Boeing needed workers with high-level security clearance, adding to the complexity of building the aircraft.

In 2023, Pentagon officials were looking into why staff without such credentials were working on the jet — with the lapse involving some 250 workers, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Earlier this month, an official confirmed to The New York Times that security requirements had been reduced for some staff, after the newspaper reported Musk had been pushing for the change.

As well as a pilot and co-pilot, there is a a flight engineer and a navigator.

Flight engineers used to be common on airliners until technology developments in the early 1980s.

Their uniforms have "Air Force One" embroidered above the presidential seal.

The VC-25A has two galleys that can provide 100 meals in one sitting.

In 2018, Axios reported that Trump wants Air Force One to have a bigger bed. A 2021 National Geographic documentary said the designs included a larger TV, more seating, and a queen bed.

President George W. Bush told Runner's World in 2002 that he had a treadmill added to his room on the jet.

Opposite the desk is a large couch that wraps around the wall.

On the other side of this room, there's a TV that can be used for teleconferencing.

The interiors of the new plane have also been a source of delays.

In 2021, Boeing filed a lawsuit against GDC Technics, a supplier for the new Air Force One, alleging it was roughly a year behind schedule in completing interior work.

GDC then filed a countersuit alleging the delays were due to Boeing's mismanagement and that payments were overdue.

The supplier then filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy — before the two sides reached a settlement six months later.

In the middle of this picture, you can see a beige phone and a white phone. The former is a secure line, while the latter is for unclassified use.

This is the only part of Air Force One that resembles a typical airliner's layout, albeit with leather seats.

However, some passengers have taken their own souvenirs. Last year, the White House Correspondents' Association warned journalists to stop stealing items from the Air Force One.

The BBC reported that pillowcases, glasses, and gold-rimmed plates are among the things said to have vanished from Air Force One.

It's also unclear what color the plane's livery will be.

The Air Force has said Trump's preferred blue, red, and white would add to delays because the dark blue would necessitate further tests due to added heat in some environments.

Biden then chose a light-blue color similar to previous presidential jets — but Trump has continued to champion his original design.

Before President Trump, Grover Cleveland was the only US president to serve non-consecutive terms in office.

Coolidge took office after President Warren G. Harding's sudden death in 1923. He gained popularity for his frugality, helping usher the US into a period that became known as "Coolidge prosperity."

Eight years after his presidency, William Howard Taft became Chief Justice of the US and is the only person to have held positions in both offices, according to the White House.

Jackson's supporters helped found the Democratic party after he lost the 1824 presidential election, despite getting the popular vote.

Bush conducted military operations in Panama and the Persian Gulf during his tenure.

Ulysses S. Grant led the Union Armies during the American Civil War, ultimately defeating the Confederacy.

Federal government spending fell during Clinton's presidency, and more jobs were created during his presidency than any other.

Polk led the US to victory in the two-year Mexican-American War.

John Quincy Adams won the 1824 election against Andrew Jackson despite losing the popular and electoral races. Because none of the candidates won a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives chose the president.

James Madison drafted and helped ratify the Bill of Rights before becoming president.

Adams is known as "the father of the American Navy" for championing US naval forces and establishing the Department of the Navy in 1798.

With the help of Congress, McKinley passed the Dingley Act, the highest protective tariff in US history.

Wilson led the country during World War I and was instrumental in crafting the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations.

The president lent his name to the Monroe Doctrine, which asserted that Latin America was within the US sphere of influence.

Johnson passed legislation including Medicare and Medicaid programs, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Domestically, Reagan is best known for cutting income taxes via two different federal laws: the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 and the Tax Reform Act of 1986. 

Kennedy became the youngest man and first Catholic elected president.

Jefferson vastly expanded the US borders through the Louisiana Purchase with France.

Truman took over as president when Franklin Delano Roosevelt died. He led the US through the final stages of World War II.

Eisenhower founded NASA and signed a law that would create the Interstate Highway System.

Mount Rushmore depicts Roosevelt's face alongside George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln.

FDR is the only president to have served more than two terms, dying in April 1945 at the start of his fourth term.

Washington remains the only president to not have been affiliated with a political party during his time in office.

Lincoln's leadership during the Civil War helped abolish slavery and save the Union from breaking apart, establishing him as the best president in US history according to historians.

C-SPAN's full presidential ranking can be found here.

US presidents rode Lincoln limousines for most of the 20th century until the 1980s, when the Reagan administration switched to Cadillacs.

The latest model of the presidential limousine was commissioned by the US Secret Service in 2014 and used for the first time in 2018 by President Donald Trump.

Designed to look like a longer version of a Cadillac XT6, the chassis of the car is actually that of a Chevrolet Kodiak truck produced by General Motors, NBC News reported. The vehicle weighs around 20,000 pounds and cost around $1.5 million to build.

While details about the limousine's security measures remain classified, NBC News reported that the vehicle features a night-vision system, tear gas firing capabilities, and door handles that can be electrified to prevent intruders.

The windows are believed to be 3 inches thick and the vehicle's armor around 8 inches thick.

The limousine's secure communications system is able to dispatch the launch codes for nuclear weapons.

The seal, featuring an eagle holding an olive branch and 13 arrows in its talons below a banner reading "E Pluribus Unum" ("Out of many, one"), appears on both the interior and exterior of the passenger door.

The interior features water bottle holders and plush leather seats. Previous presidential limousines have also included a fold-out desk, according to the US Secret Service.

Presidential limousines are transported by military cargo aircraft, such as US Air Force C-17s, for use during the president's travels, according to the US Secret Service.

When Biden visited the UK in June 2021, the presidential limousine flew both the American flag and the Union Jack.

Some presidents have used the Washington, DC, "End Taxation Without Representation" license plates, while others have removed the slogan, Axios reported.

Biden and Trump rode to the 2025 inauguration ceremony together in the presidential limousine.

"It is safe to say that this car's security and coded communications systems make it the most technologically advanced protection vehicle in the world," the assistant director for the US Secret Service's Office of Protective Operations said of "The Beast, " according to the US Secret Service's official website.

Adams was born in this quiet cottage in rural Massachusetts in 1735.

In the summer months, John Adams' father, John Adams Sr., would till the 6 acres of land their cottage sat on, and in the winter, he would practice cordwaining, a form of leather shoe making, the National Park Service reported.

Buchanan, the United States' 15th president, was born in this unpretentious log cabin in Cove Gap, Pennsylvania, 1791.

In 1953, the cabin was moved to The Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.

The site of Buchanan's original birthplace is open to the public at Buchanan's Birthplace State Park.

Polk grew up on a humble homestead, which has been recreated for a National Historic Site.

The 150-acre farm in North Carolina where Polk was born in 1795 now features vintage 1800s log buildings — including a cabin, barn, and kitchen — and furnishings similar to those on the original property, North Carolina Historic Sites reported.

Polk lived on the property until he left for Tennessee at age 11. He would later return to North Carolina to attend the University of North Carolina.

Fillmore, who was born in 1800, spent his childhood in this log cabin near what's now Summerhill, New York. He was one of eight children, and his parents were farmers.

Though the birthplace of the 13th US president is no longer standing, a state historical marker now commemorates the location.

Lincoln was born in 1809 in a one-room log cabin on his father's Sinking Spring Farm near Louisville, Kentucky.

Lincoln's family lived at the cabin until he was 2 ½ years old. His father, a carpenter and farmer, then moved the family to another farm 10 miles away.

The original cabin is no longer standing but a replica, pictured, is on display at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park. 

Grant lived in this quaint cottage for less than a year after his birth in 1822.

The family paid $2 a month in rent before moving to Georgetown, Ohio, where he lived until he was 17.

The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a historic house museum operated under the Ohio Historical Society. The inside is furnished with items that once belonged to Grant. 

Garfield was born in 1831 in what's now Moreland Hills, Ohio.

Though the original cabin no longer stands, a replica cabin, statue, and plaque commemorate his birth site.

In 1843, William McKinley was born in an upstairs bedroom of a two-story Ohio home that his parents were renting.

The original structure burned down in 1937, but it was recreated at the McKinley Birthplace Home and Research Center in Niles, Ohio.

Hoover was born in 1874 and spent the first three years of his life in this two-room cottage in West Branch, Iowa.

The National Park Service reported that one of the rooms was used as a bedroom for Hoover, his parents, his older brother and, after her birth, his younger sister. The second room was a living and kitchen area. The family later moved to a two-story house.

Hoover later said, "This cottage where I was born is physical proof of the unbounded opportunity of American life."

Truman was born in this small house in Lamar, Missouri, in 1884.

It is now a Missouri State Historical Site and free tours are available for visitors. The inside of the home has furnishings that reflect what life was like when Truman was growing up in the late 1800s.

In 1908, Lyndon B. Johnson was born in a ranch-style home near Stonewall, Texas.

The home where Johnson was born and spent his childhood was constructed in 1889 by his grandfather Samuel Ealy Johnson, Sr., according to the National Park Service. His parents sold the home in the 1920s and it was later demolished, per the Texas State Historical Association.

In 1964, LBJ hired an architect to reconstruct the birth home for people interested in learning more about his heritage.

According to the NPS, Johnson's birthplace home "has the distinction of being the only presidential birthplace reconstructed, refurbished, and interpreted by an incumbent President."

Reagan was born in an apartment above a bakery turned bank building in downtown Tampico, Illinois, in 1911.

Though he only lived in the apartment for four months after his birth, it was refinished to reflect how it looked when he was born, the Tampico Historical Society reported.

President Richard Nixon was born in this single-family home in 1913 in Yorba Linda, California.

Nixon's father built the home on his citrus farm using a kit, a popular housing method in the early 20th century, according to the National Park Service. Nixon would spend the first nine years of his life here before moving to Whittier, California.

Although ownership of the home changed over time, it was restored prior to the opening of Nixon's Library in 1990 and is now a National Historic Landmark open to visitors.

Carter was the first US president to be born in a hospital, but the Plains, Georgia, farm he grew up on initially had no running water or electricity and relied on wood stoves for heat.

The family had moved to the farm in 1928, when Carter was 4 years old. He helped his father, James Earl Carter, Sr., raise cotton, corn, peanuts, and sugar cane, all of which they sold at a country store near their house.

"The early years of my life on the farm were full and enjoyable, isolated but not lonely. We always had enough to eat, no economic hardship, but no money to waste. We felt close to nature, close to members of our family, and close to God," Carter said, per the NPS.

Biden's family moved in with his maternal grandparents in Scranton, Pennsylvania, during the early years of his childhood, after his father faced economic hardship, The New York Times reported.

The family stayed in the home (pictured above) until 1953, when his father moved the family to Delaware for work. Biden was born in 1942.

George W. Bush was born in Connecticut in 1946, but grew up in Texas. His family lived in this 1,400 square foot home in Midland, Texas, from 1951 to 1955.

The house is now a Texas Historical Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places. It was restored to reflect its 1950s appearance and is open to the public for tours.

Eisenhower's Boeing 707 Stratoliner, nicknamed "Queenie," featured a section for telecommunications, room for 40 passengers, a conference area, and a stateroom, according to Encyclopedia Britannica.

The Boeing 707 included a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

The plane's design featured an American flag on the tail and presidential seals on the nose.

It marked the first and only time a presidential swearing-in ceremony took place on an airplane.

The small alcove was decorated with a globe decal on the wall and curtains lining the windows.

Nixon stood behind the plane's bar while meeting with military and civilian leaders en route to Vietnam.

Presidents would occasionally make their way back to the rear cabin to chat with reporters.

Ford is pictured with Candice Bergen, the first female photographer to shoot a behind-the-scenes story on an American president.

Carter talked to reporters on his way back from a trip to Europe in 1978.

In 1983, Reagan met with Secretary of State George P. Shultz and the national-security advisor designate Robert McFarlane in a meeting space that featured a magazine rack, teal chair, wood-grain table, and photos of him and the first lady, Nancy Reagan.

The photos showed Reagan toasting with a champagne glass and waving while boarding Air Force One.

The meeting room also included a television set.

The presidential office was updated with a stately desk, gray carpeting, and leather chairs.

The staff area featured plenty of phones for official business. Air Force One is also known as the "flying Oval Office."

The annex is pictured in executive configuration, with seating for meetings.

Clinton met with a delegation from North and South Dakota in 1997 to address flooding in the area.

Clinton met with members of Congress to discuss nuclear-waste management in 1999.

The plane flew 444 missions and logged over 1 million miles, according to the Bush White House.

Bush insisted on returning to Washington, but the Secret Service refused since they were unsure if more attacks were coming.

In a 2016 interview with Politico, Bush's assistant White House press secretary Gordon Johndroe described Air Force One that day as "the safest and most dangerous place in the world at the exact same time."

The president's suite included a small bed, light-pink couch and carpeting, and a desk with a brown leather chair.

The hallway was lined with a beige couch with side tables and lamps on either side.

The plane has 85 phone lines as well as encryption and scrambling devices to ensure secure communication, CNBC reported.

Food and drinks are provided by the plane's galley kitchen.

Obama met with his chief of staff, Jack Lew, his senior advisors David Axelrod and David Plouffe, and former President Bill Clinton in the senior staff room in 2012.

The carpeting was updated to a subtle star pattern, which also appeared in the conference room.

The chairs featured a subtle polka-dot pattern, and the tables folded down to make more space.

Journalists can wander the rear cabin freely, but they aren't allowed to walk forward to speak to the president — the president has to come back to them.

As part of the Air Force's Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program to update Air Force One planes, Trump proposed a red, white, and navy-blue color scheme for the new models.

The darker paint color would have caused overheating issues and been too costly. Instead, President Joe Biden selected a baby-blue color scheme similar to the current model.

The new VC-25B Air Force One planes are expected to be ready by 2027, according to the Air Force. The long-delayed project has already cost Boeing over $2 million due to various manufacturing and supply-chain issues.

Plain beige carpeting continued down the hallway.

Biden took his first overseas trip as president in June 2021, visiting Europe for the G7 summit.

Trump signed a proclamation establishing the name change in his Air Force One office in February.

The luxurious plane previously functioned as a Qatari private business jet. It features a large primary bedroom with loveseats and an en-suite bathroom, guest bedrooms, office space, a dining room, and a salon lounge with plush couches.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a May briefing that the Qatari royal family donated the jumbo jet to the US Air Force and that it was being "retrofitted to the highest standards" to serve as Air Force One. Some estimates put the cost of upgrading the jet for the office of the president at $1 billion.

Trump, who has pressured Boeing to deliver its new Air Force One planes sooner and criticized the project's "failure" to complete them on time, said he'd be "stupid" to turn down the Qatari plane, worth an estimated $400 million.

President Dwight Eisenhower was the first president to fly in a helicopter in an official capacity in 1957, according to the US Naval Institute.

Marine One features antimissile countermeasures, ballistic armor, secure communication lines, and radar-jamming technology.

In case of a crash, it also has self-sealing fuel tanks and energy-absorbing landing gear to help prevent fires and extensive damage.

There can be up to five Marine One helicopters flying at one time to obscure the president's exact location, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Library. The helicopters also frequently change positions after takeoff to make it harder to determine which one the president is on.

Military cargo aircraft transport Marine One helicopters abroad and remain on standby at local airports in case of emergency during foreign visits, according to the US Naval Institute.

A Black Hawk model called the VH-60N White Hawk can fit 11 passengers, and the Sikorsky VH-3D Sea King helicopters can fit 14, according to the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Both are used as presidential transports.

The helicopter is so soundproof that passengers can speak at a normal volume.

Marine One also includes perks like 200 square feet of interior space and a bathroom.

Flying across Washington, DC, in a helicopter is more efficient than snarling traffic in a presidential motorcade.

New Sikorsky VH-92 Patriot models built by Lockheed Martin debuted in 2021 with the goal of eventually replacing the older Marine One helicopters.

The fleet of 20 aircraft cost $5 billion, but the new Sikorsky helicopters are no longer in regular use because the engines kept burning the White House lawn.

President Barack Obama sparked controversy in 2013 when he seemingly forgot to return a Marine's salute and doubled back to shake his hand while boarding Marine One.

However, while Army personnel in uniform are required to salute the president, the president doesn't have to return the gesture. The New York Times reported that President Ronald Reagan was the first president to start returning soldiers' salutes in 1981.

The president's seat is the only forward-facing captain's chair on the aircraft aside from the seats occupied by the pilot and copilot, The Points Guy reported.

After his first ride in Marine One in 2009, Obama said that the helicopter was "very smooth" and "very impressive."

"You go right over the Washington Monument and then, you know, kind of curve in by the Capitol," he said. "It was spectacular."

In the latter half of the century, industries like oil, steel, railroads, and manufacturing were growing rapidly in the United States. The Economic History Association estimated that industrial output in the US had reached a value of $9.4 billion by 1890. Nearly five million people were employed by the 350,000 industrial firms operating in the country, and the rapid expansion of business generated unprecedented revenue.

The businessmen who led the expanding manufacturing economy amassed massive amounts of personal wealth, even by today's standards.

The average family's annual income was around $500 (about $18,000 in today's money), according to an 1892 report from the Senate Finance Committee, yet the top 1% of families owned over half of America's wealth. During this era, known as the Gilded Age, the wealthiest families in America, such as the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts, formed a new social elite akin to European aristocracy.

The economic disparity became more obvious through the wealthy's over-the-top displays of their riches in social gatherings like the 1897 Bradley-Martin Ball in New York City, where 700 members of the country's elite gathered in a royalty-themed costume party.

Other displays of the elite's wealth included extravagant architecture and fashion.

On the other side of the wealth divide, workers and immigrants faced harsh living conditions.

The rapid increase in industrialization drew masses to America, and immigration, particularly from countries in eastern and southern Europe, changed the face of the workforce, according to the Library of Congress.

Children, who weren't protected by law from physically challenging labor, had often started contributing to their households by age 10.

In New York City, the population doubled every decade from 1800 to 1880. Tenement housing, where families packed as many people as possible into apartments by using cheap materials to create walls or add floors to existing buildings, quickly dominated parts of the city. These settlements often lacked indoor plumbing or ventilation, leading to a rapid increase in the spread of illnesses. The cramped conditions also led to many fires in major cities.

Jacob Riis' "How The Other Half Lives," a photojournalism book documenting the lives of poor Americans towards the end of the century, exposed the realities faced by millions of people, such as having 12 adults sleeping in 13-feet-wide rooms and child mortality in tenements being as high as one in 10.

An average family spent nearly 60% of their annual income on food and rent, and laborers — including children — often worked six 10-hour days per week.

One report of living standards of the time suggested that an average family's dreams would be fulfilled by owning a home valued around $36,000 in today's money, a Sunday dress and suit, a barrel of flour, 5 tons of coal, and $9,000 in today's money in savings.

The presence of disposable income led to the establishment of department stores and consumerism in the big cities.

For women entering the workforce, retail stores offered a more respectable field of work than the factory work available to them, which was mostly in textile and garment manufacturing. While job opportunities opened for women, their wages remained significantly lower than men's, who were still seen as the breadwinners of the households, according to the Library of Congress.

Prior to the adoption of the federal income tax in 1913, tariffs were the federal government's main source of funding.

In an effort to help the economy recover following the Civil War, the government had kept tariffs on foreign goods relatively high compared to pre-war rates, Douglas Irwin, an economics professor at Dartmouth College, wrote for the National Bureau of Economic Research.

However, by the late 1880s, a unique problem had arisen: The federal government was taking in too much money from tariffs, resulting in a budget surplus over 40% higher than its spending.

Both parties agreed to revisit tariff rates in efforts to reduce it, although each side supported a different alternative in what became known as the Great Tariff Debate of 1888.

Born in 1843 in Niles, Ohio, William McKinley was working as a school teacher when the Civil War broke out in 1861. He enlisted in the Union Army and quickly climbed the ranks. After the war, he attended Albany Law School in New York and began his political career shortly after, being elected to the House of Representatives in 1876.

By 1890, he had risen within the congressional chamber and became chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, overseeing taxation and tariffs.

Authored by McKinley and later named after him, the Tariff Act of 1890 raised protective tariffs of over 1,500 products by almost 50%.

The tariff imposed duties on items like tinplate and wool while eliminating tariffs on sugar, molasses, tea, and coffee. The goal of the act was to "make the duty on foreign-tinplate high enough to insure its manufacture in this country," McKinley said in 1890.

It also protected American workers' wages from competition from cheaper labor abroad.

While miners and farmers of crops like corn, wheat, and potatoes benefited from the stimulus to American production and the rise in foreign competitors' prices, some manufacturing was hurt by the price hikes in raw materials.

The tariffs affected consumer products like shoes, clothes, and canned goods, as well as some other 1,500 products, ranging from chemicals and metals to dairy products and grains, to varying degrees.

Ultimately, it was everyday people who ended up paying the price for the tariffs, Bolt said.

"Consumers had to pay a higher price for the manufactured good they wanted," Bolt said. "So there was in fact a political backlash against the McKinley tariff."

Following the adoption of the Tariff Act, McKinley's Republican Party lost control of Congress in the midterm elections of 1890, and the Ohio representative himself was ousted as the party lost 93 seats in the House of Representatives.

Over the next two years, as voters continued to feel the impacts of the measure and other economic instabilities, the party also lost the presidential election and both chambers of Congress in 1892.

Across the country, economic unrest as prices rose turned workers against vendors and employers, leading to a rise in the labor movement.

As industries expanded, workers began to unite against industry barons to demand fair work conditions.

An 1892 strike demanding improvements in working conditions turned deadly after Carnegie Steel-hired security forces exchanged gunfire with the worker coalition.

Across the country, labor movements gained momentum, with the rising hostility between industry leaders and workers ending in fatal incidents.

In 1894, the Pullman Strike, after which Labor Day was established, led to dozens of deaths and millions of dollars in damages, pushing then-President Grover Cleveland to legitimize the labor movement by declaring the national holiday.

By 1893, the economy had contracted significantly. Production rates were far exceeding domestic consumption, leading companies to slow down production and lay off workers.

The rise in unemployment (which reached 17% by the winter and surpassed 10% for the next half of the decade), along with government spending on Civil War pensions, were some of the factors that contributed to the panic.

Following the panic, the Democrats reduced some of McKinley's tariffs with the Wilson-Gorman Tariff Act of 1894. Tariffs on some items — including iron ore, lumber, and wool — were nixed entirely, angering US producers of those products.

Following the economic troubles, voters blamed President Grover Cleveland and his Democratic party, which didn't regain power in any branch of government until 1910.

Shortly after ending his term as governor of Ohio, serving from 1892 to 1896, McKinley ran for president on a protectionist platform that aimed to benefit American industries while discouraging trade with foreign nations.

"Free trade gives to the foreign producer equal privileges with us," McKinley proclaimed in an 1892 speech. "It destroys our factories or reduces our labor to the level of theirs."

McKinley's tariff plans heavily targeted the import of goods like tinplate, wool, yarn, steel, and sugar in an effort to encourage domestic manufacturing.

With domestic industries continuing to grow thanks to widespread industrialization and an increase in goods production, American manufacturers saw a need for exports to an international market.

However, America's tariffs on foreign imports led other nations to increase their duties on American products, limiting the domestic industries' role in foreign trade and hurting the economy as a surplus of production failed to bring in more revenue for manufacturers.

Once in the White House, President McKinley's approach to tariffs turned to a reciprocal view that would help export American products and stimulate trade rather than penalize it.

Staying true to his election promise of high tariffs, McKinley supported the Dingley Tariff Act, which raised previously lowered tariffs back to an average of 49% on imported goods, according to Lewis L. Gould, a professor of American history at the University of Texas. However, the act also granted the president the power to negotiate tariff reductions up to 20% or add products to a tariff "free-list."

Using the tariffs as a negotiating tool with foreign markets, McKinley encouraged nations to lower their tariffs on American goods to allow for more exports.

Major donations from executives from firms like JP Morgan and Standard Oil ensured that the McKinley presidency remained friendly to business interests.

McKinley was also in office for part of the Great Merger wave of 1895-1904, in which companies consolidated into larger firms, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Between 1895 and 1904, the average number of firms disappearing to mergers each year was 301; in 1899 alone, as merger activity peaked, this number rose to 1,028, per the NBER.

While the Sherman Antitrust Act — a federal law prohibiting businesses from engaging in unfair practices that restrain competition — was passed in 1890, it is understood that the McKinley administration failed to strictly enforce the law to prevent large firms from consolidating into even larger monopolies during this period.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, one out of every eight children was employed by 1870. By 1900, the rate had risen to one in every five, with almost two million kids aged 10 to 15 working full-time jobs.

In rural areas, young boys (some even younger than 14) often worked at coal mines, breaking up coal with their bare hands or performing farm labor. In cities, many earned an income through newspaper delivery. In towns, both boys and girls often worked at mills or factories.

The unregulated growth of large firms led to more workers getting involved with the labor movement. Between 1897 and 1904, union membership increased from less than 500,000 to over two million workers, according to the US Department of Labor.

Workers united to demand fair working conditions, like improved facilities and hours. At the time, the norm for a worker was to work over 10 hours a day in places like factories or mills that exposed them to dangerous chemicals and conditions.

As the labor movement gained support, tensions between workers and businesses grew more hostile. One 1897 encounter between coal miners and local authorities, which later became known as the Lattimer Massacre, resulted in the death of 19 strikers.

Sent to Havana Harbor during the Cuban War of Independence against the Spanish, the USS Maine and its accidental explosion set the stage for America's declaration of war with Spain.

Unverified reports of a Spanish attack on the ship alarmed Americans and quickly built support for the war, which Americans saw as a just cause for Cuban freedom.

On the night after the explosion alone, the Army received over 100,000 volunteers.

The Spanish-American war was perhaps the most significant development of the McKinley administration, and might've contributed to the president's shift in tone regarding foreign trade towards the end of his presidency.

The Spanish-American war greatly expanded America's reach in the hemisphere and beyond.

The 16-week war and low casualties on the American front helped raise the national spirit following the economic and political instability of the past century.

By absorbing Spain's colonial territories in the Caribbean, the United States became its own imperial power, and an era of imperialism and global prevalence quickly followed.

America's victory in the Spanish-American War and the subsequent annexation of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Guam ended America's isolationist approach of the 19th century in favor of a globalist view, which was then reflected in the domestic politics adopted by McKinley's leadership.

Victory in the war effectively turned a page in American politics as the country was now emboldened by its newly found global power.

In a drastic change in views since his Congress days, McKinley openly discouraged the protectionist economy in favor of reciprocal tariffs, saying that "a policy of good will and friendly trade relations will prevent reprisals."

His speech at the Pan-American Exposition signaled a shift in the Republican Party's views of trade following the war, and opened the door for an expansionist economy.

While attending the event, the president was shot by Leon Czolgosz, a Polish-American laborer and anarchist. He died from the wounds eight days later, on September 14, 1901.

Despite the economic turmoil of the previous decade, McKinley was widely mourned by the country.

"It's a great "what-if" in American politics," Bolt said. "If McKinley wasn't assassinated, [would] we [have started] to move towards free trade a lot earlier than we did?"

Following McKinley's death, his successor, President Theodore Roosevelt, and subsequent Progressive politics brought upon changes that alleviated the social and economic tensions of the Gilded Age.

Power shifted from the barons and reforms in labor, trust busting, tax policies, and civil rights changed the landscape of American life.

While McKinley's presidency is often overshadowed by his successor's, he had a significant impact on setting the stage for a new age in the domestic economy, both through his protectionist tariffs and his undoing of them.

Jimmy Carter has been nominated 10 times for best spoken-word album, according to the Grammys' official website. He won for the recordings of his books "Faith — A Journey For All" in 2019, "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety" in 2016, and "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis" in 2007.

This year, the former president is nominated in the best spoken-word album category for "Last Sundays in Plains: A Centennial Celebration."

The former first lady's audiobook for her memoir "Becoming" won best spoken-word album in 2020. In 2024, she won again for the recording of her latest book, "The Light We Carry."

The recordings of Obama's books "Dreams From My Father" and "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" won best spoken-word album in 2006 and 2008, respectively. His presidential memoir audiobook, "A Promised Land," was also nominated in 2022.

In 2018, Sanders was nominated for best spoken-word album for "Our Revolution: A Future to Believe In" along with actor Mark Ruffalo, who narrated parts of the audiobook. The pair lost to Carrie Fisher, who won a posthumous award for her memoir "The Princess Diarist."

In 2024, Sanders was nominated in the same category for his audiobook, "It's OK to Be Angry About Capitalism."

Warren lost the award to "Diary of a Mad Diva" by Joan Rivers.

Clinton's narration of the children's book "Peter and the Wolf: Wolf Tracks" earned him his first Grammy in 2004. The following year, he won best spoken-word album for the audiobook of his presidential memoir, "My Life."

He received two other Grammy nominations for his recordings of "Giving: How Each Of Us Can Change The World" and "Back To Work: Why We Need Smart Government For A Strong Economy."

The then-first lady won a Grammy for the recording of her nonfiction book, "It Takes A Village." She was nominated again in 2004 for the audiobook of her memoir, "Living History."

The former vice president's audiobook was read by actors Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon, and Blair Underwood, according to its listing on Audible.

The former Minnesota senator, who rose to fame as a comedian before entering politics, won best comedy album in 1997 and best spoken-word album in 2004. He has been nominated seven times.

Jackson advocated for DC statehood in an unpaid Senate position known as a "shadow senator" from 1991 to 1997. He was also appointed as a special envoy to Africa by President Bill Clinton in 1997.

In 1989, Jackson won a spoken-word Grammy for a recorded address entitled "Speech by Rev. Jesse Jackson." He was nominated in the same category in 1985 for "Our Time Has Come."

His musical talents were also recognized at the 22nd Grammy Awards in 1980, when his gospel album "Push For Excellence" was nominated for best contemporary soul gospel performance.

In what became known as "Frost/Nixon" or "the Nixon interviews," the former president sat down with Frost to discuss his presidency and role in the Watergate scandal. The Grammy-nominated interviews were watched by 45 million people, the BBC reported.

A Republican senator from Illinois, Dirksen took home the Grammy for best spoken word, drama, or documentary recording in 1968. He was also nominated in 1971 for his spoken-word album "Everett Dirksen's America."

"The Truman Tapes," a series of recorded interviews with Ben Gradus, was nominated for best spoken-word recording at the 20th Grammy Awards.

The album, a mix of stories, jokes, and pop music covers, was nominated for best spoken-word recording at the 17th Grammy Awards in 1975.

Editor Bill Adler's book "The Kennedy Wit," a compilation of the former president's quotes and humorous quips, became a bestseller in 1964, the year after his assassination, according to Goodreads.

On the recorded version, Kennedy was listed as an artist along with narrator David Brinkley and Adlai Stevenson, who provided an introduction. The album was nominated for best documentary, spoken word, or drama recording.

Ultimately, the cast of the BBC show "That Was The Week That Was" won the category for its tribute to Kennedy.

Stevenson served as governor of Illinois and ran twice for president as the Democratic nominee in 1952 and 1956.

He was nominated for his first Grammy in 1965 for his contribution to "The Kennedy Wit." He was nominated again in 1967 for "The Stevenson Wit," a similar album featuring selections from his "speeches, press conferences, and off-the-cuff remarks," according to the album cover.

The presidential residence also includes a bowling alley, which Melania Trump renovated, a basketball court, a restaurant, and a chocolate shop.

First children also have free rein of the White House grounds to wander the gardens or play outside with their presidential pets.

Children who've called the White House home include Bill Clinton's daughter, Chelsea; Jimmy Carter's daughter, Amy; and John F. Kennedy's children, John Jr. and Caroline.

Nine children of presidents have gotten married at the White House: Maria Hester Monroe, John Adams II, Elizabeth Tyler, Nellie Grant, Alice Lee Roosevelt, Jessie Woodrow Wilson, Eleanor Randolph Wilson, Lynda Bird Johnson, and Tricia Nixon.

Susan Ford, then 17, even hosted her high school prom at the White House in 1975, the first — and, as of now, only — prom to be held there, Vanity Fair reported.

While the president's airplane and other modes of transportation are only referred to as Air Force One, Marine One, and the like when the president is on board, first ladies and kids also get to ride them.

Air Force One has three levels and 4,000 square feet of interior floor space. That includes a conference room, dining room, and private quarters with a gym for the president. There is also a medical operating room, offices for staff, and two food-preparation galleys that can provide 100 meals.

"Sure, maybe a few times I wished my father was just a congressman," Susan Ford Bales, the daughter of former President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford, once said in an interview, CBS News reported.

"But in fact, I wouldn't trade it for anything," she continued. "The travels, the people you meet. From movie stars to heads of state. It was like, 'Oh my gosh, look who I'm meeting now!"'

The White House executive chef and executive pastry chef are primarily hired to serve the first family, which includes the kids, and to prepare food during official White House functions.

However, while first kids have access to the five full-time chefs who work in the White House, they likely can't order an unlimited supply of their favorite foods because the first family actually foots the bill for their food.

"They let you get whatever you want," Michelle Obama told Jimmy Kimmel in 2018. "And then you get the bill for a peach and it's like, 'That was a $500 peach!' I would tell Barack, 'Do not express pleasure for anything until I know how much it costs.'"

Although presidential kids can make temporary decorative changes to their rooms, given the historical significance of the White House they can't make any major structural changes to their living quarters.

"Some parts are essentially historic rooms and belong to the American people, not to the families who live there," Kate Andersen Brower, the author of "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies," told ABC News in 2016.

The Postal Revenue and Federal Salary Act of 1967, also called the Bobby Kennedy Law, was intended to curb political nepotism and prevent the family members of sitting presidents from obtaining powerful positions in the executive branch.

However, first children have still continued to hold positions in the White House. Most notably, Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, both worked as advisors to President Donald Trump, but they took no salary.

"The antinepotism law apparently has an exception if you want to work in the West Wing because the president is able to appoint his own staff," Kellyanne Conway, then a Trump staffer, told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" in 2016. "Of course, this came about to stop maybe family members from serving on the Cabinet, but the president does have discretion to choose a staff of his liking."

The United States Secret Service offers around-the-clock protection to the spouses and children of the US president and vice president.

Children of non-sitting presidents are only ensured protection until they turn 16 years old. Presidents can petition for continued security after they leave office.

After he left office in January 2021, Donald Trump extended Secret Service protection for his four adult children for another six months, The Washington Post reported. His youngest son, Barron, has also been under the protection of the Secret Service since he began attending New York University.

Two former first children went on to become president: John Quincy Adams and George W. Bush. While a first kid becoming president isn't exactly common, multiple first children have entered politics after their fathers left office.

Jeb Bush, the second son of George H.W. Bush, went on to serve as the 43rd governor of Florida and launched his own presidential campaign in 2015. Chelsea Clinton also said a future for her in politics was a "definite maybe" in 2018, The Guardian reported.

The office's oval shape was inspired by the shape of the Blue Room on the first floor, according to the White House Historical Association.

The Oval Office was designed by architect Nathan C. Wyeth.

Among Hoover's upgrades was the Oval Office's first telephone.

Roosevelt expanded the West Wing to accommodate more staff. The Oval Office was moved to the southeast corner of the White House, which had initially been a laundry-drying yard.

The ceiling depicts the Presidential Seal.

The Resolute Desk was a gift from Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880.

Striped sofas were a popular furniture trend in the '70s.

The armchairs on either side of the Resolute Desk, dating back to Hoover's time in the White House, were reupholstered in blue.

The rug featured olive branches along the border and sunbeam designs around the presidential seal in the center.

The rug was made by The Scott Group of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The new gold rug featured a sunbeam design.

The rug featured the Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.'' 

Jackson's treatment of Native Americans, including the signing of the Indian Removal Act, has made him a controversial figure.

In addition to Roosevelt, the wall featured portraits of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton hung together to symbolize the benefits of different opinions.

Biden's Oval Office also included busts of fellow progressives and activists showcased throughout the room: Robert F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, and labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.

Trump also reinstated a red button on the Resolute Desk that summons a Diet Coke and added the flags of different branches of the military around the room.

Trump added additional portraits to the Oval Office walls, replacing Biden's central portrait of Roosevelt with one of George Washington. He added custom gold furnishings to the fireplace and the wall behind it and chose gold pieces from the White House collection to sit atop the mantle.

Further gold details included gold coasters on the tables and gold trim around the oval ceiling's crown molding.

The oval shape dates back to President George Washington's practice of holding levees, formal greeting receptions inspired by English court, according to the White House Historical Association.

By 1940, Roosevelt cleared out and returned to the Oval Office.

It also featured striped wallpaper.

The striped wallpaper was replaced with dark blue.

The room was remodeled after the Committee for the Preservation of the White House recommended that it be refurbished.

The Blue Room isn't just for ceremonial greetings. In 2001, President George W. Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair there before addressing the nation in the wake of September 11.

For the Obamas' first Christmas in the White House in 2009, the Blue Room was adorned with an 18-foot high Douglas fir illuminated with LED lights.

In 2021, first lady Jill Biden decorated the tree with doves carrying a banner with the names of every US state and territory.

The menu is usually chosen by the first lady.

Roosevelt expanded the State Dining Room during the 1902 White House renovation and added a moose head to the walls.

The renovation cost $5.7 million, according to the Truman Library Institute.

She conducted a tour of the newly restored White House that was watched by more than 80 million Americans on television in 1962, according to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Back when Clinton was the governor of Arkansas, he spoke at the White House in the State Dining Room in 1987.

It featured a cream-colored carpet and matching curtains.

The tables were set in honor of British Prime Minister David Cameron's visit to the White House.

The State Dining Room was dramatically lit in purple in 2015 for a post-state dinner reception for the prime minister of Japan.

He did host two state dinners during his presidency: President Emmanual Macron of France in 2018 and Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia in 2019.

During Biden's presidency, the State Dining Room featured the same curtains and rug from the Trump administration.

The event featured a performance by Jon Batiste and a menu including Maine lobster and crème fraîche ice cream.

In 1926, under President Calvin Coolidge, the Entrance Hall featured a portrait of President William Howard Taft painted in 1911.

The practice of draping black cloth around the White House after the death of a president dates back to President James A. Garfield's death in 1881, according to The White House Historical Association.

George H.W. Bush's official White House portrait was painted by Herbert E. Abrams.

Artist Robert McCurdy painted a hyperrealistic portrait of Obama against a white background. The portrait was unveiled in 2023.

The painting, modeled after an Associated Press photo from the Pennsylvania rally where a gunman shot at Trump, was created by South Florida artist Marc Lipp.

Obama's portrait was relocated across the hall, White House principal deputy press secretary Harrison Fields wrote on X.

Calvin Coolidge served a partial term beginning in 1923 after the death of President Warren G. Harding and was reelected in 1924.

Charles Dawes was chosen as Coolidge's vice presidential nominee at the 1924 Republican National Convention.

Calvin Coolidge and Grace Coolidge rode to the inauguration in a convertible automobile accompanied by a mounted honor guard and cavalry escort.

At a press conference ahead of the inauguration, Calvin Coolidge said he intended for the event to be "moderate in its proportions and moderate in its expenditures." He saved the joint Congressional Inaugural Committee $16,000 by reducing the size of the parade and the amount of security, stands, and decorations, according to the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

The buttons featured the faces of Calvin Coolidge and Charles Dawes. Today, the mementos are rare collectibles.

Around 30,000 people attended the 1925 inauguration, UPI reported.

Grace Coolidge did not hold the Bible for her husband's swearing-in ceremony. In 1964, Lady Bird Johnson became the first incoming first lady to hold the Bible for her husband, Lyndon B. Johnson.

"The men and women of this country who toil are the ones who bear the cost of the government," he said. "Every dollar that we carelessly waste means that their life will be so much the more meager. Every dollar that we prudently save means that their life will be so much the more abundant."

The ceremony was broadcast across the country over AT&T telephone wires. Photos of the event were also sent to newsrooms via wire photography transmissions. From Washington, DC, it took seven minutes for photos to reach New York City and an hour to reach Los Angeles, according to the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

The United States Navy Band Orchestra performed at a charity inaugural ball held in honor of Calvin Coolidge at the Mayflower Hotel, even though the president himself wasn't in attendance.

Woodrow Wilson lived there until he died in 1924, and his wife, Edith Wilson, lived there until 1961.

The house features a marble entryway, a Palladian window, a sunroom over the backyard garden, and a Steinway piano that is over 100 years old.

The Trumans had lived at 219 North Delaware Street since they married in 1919, according to the National Park Service. The lot was originally purchased by Bess' grandfather, George Porterfield Gates, in 1867. 

The former president retired without any Secret Service protection or chauffeur, and he was often spotted walking around the neighborhood.

During the Cold War, Eisenhower held meetings with world leaders there.

The grounds include gardens, a teahouse, a skeet range, and a putting green, and the home features a marble mantle from the White House, according to the National Park Service.

Johnson grew up on the ranch and is buried there.

His home was known as the "Texas White House" since he often hosted meetings and world leaders on the ranch, according to the National Park Service.

Nixon often entertained dignitaries, celebrities, and politicians at the 15,000-square-foot home.

After he resigned, Nixon wrote his memoirs in the home, which was listed for $65 million in April 2021, Mansion Global reported. It was removed from the market later that year.

The home sold for $1.7 million in 2012. It was only on the market for 11 days before buyers snatched it up, Palm Springs Life reported.

The decor was characteristic of the 1970s with lime-green drapes, floral sofas, and beige carpeting.

Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, in 1924 and died on December 29, 2024.

The house cost less than the armored Secret Service cars that followed him around, The Washington Post reported in 2018.

The 7,192-square-foot estate was built in 1954, according to Zillow.

Nancy Reagan was pictured with former Sen. John McCain outside the home in 2008. The home last sold for $15 million in 2016.

The Bushes also had a post-White House home in Houston, Texas.

Charles Gibson of ABC News filmed an interview with the Bushes at their Maine home in 2007.

The home cost $1.7 million, The New York Times reported.

Bill Clinton gave Oprah Winfrey a tour of the home in 2004.

The Bushes often took vacations there during his presidency, earning it the nickname of the "Western White House."

The 1,600-acre property contains 40 miles of bike trails, Architectural Digest reported. Jenna Bush and Henry Hager held their wedding on the ranch in 2008.

They leased their post-White House home from Joe Lockhart, who served as Bill Clinton's press secretary.

The mansion was listed for sale on Redfin at $5.3 million in 2014 before it went off the market.

The Mar-a-Lago Club is a 20-acre estate with 128 rooms and multiple pools and beaches. Trump spent a significant amount of time at Mar-a-Lago during his first presidency.

The club's main building features neo-Gothic and Andalusian accents. Inside, the main living room features high ceilings and gold-plated designs over every wall.

The Bidens' home, which overlooks a 10-acre man-made pond, features three bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms, according to Zillow.

The home also features a basement studio equipped for media appearances and virtual events.

The yacht, named after Sequoyah, a leader of the Cherokee Nation, measured 104 feet long. In its heyday, it had elegant cabins of mahogany and teak with brass finishings.

The US government bought it from a Texas oil tycoon in 1931 for $200,000, and it was soon reserved for use by presidents.

The vessel was berthed at Washington Navy Yard, a short drive from the White House.

Hoover was so enamored of the Sequoia he even used a picture of it on his 1932 Christmas card.

However, at a time when many Americans were suffering from unemployment and poverty due to the Great Depression, the card drew criticism from political opponents.

In the president's bedroom cabin, the presidential seal decorated the wall above the bed and the bedspread.

It was ideal for hosting family gatherings, or meetings with foreign leaders and their staff.

President Harry Truman added the piano to the salon after becoming president in 1945.

Lyndon Baines Johnson later added a drinks bar.

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair for much of his presidency, had an elevator installed so he could access each deck.

According to legend, he also decommissioned the vessel so he and Prime Minister Winston Churchill could enjoy alcoholic drinks on deck while they planned their strategy in World War II.

At the time, no alcohol was permitted on US Navy vessels.

The vessel was intended as a place presidents could use as a private retreat, and there are no official records of its guests. As a result, rumors have long circulated about what took place on board.

In June 1973, President Richard Nixon hosted Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev on the Sequoia, where the two negotiated the SALT-1 nuclear arms treaty.

It was Nixon who embarked on more trips on the boat than any other president, taking more than 100 in total.

During the Watergate crisis, he used the boat as a refuge.

Nixon told his family of his intention to resign the presidency over dinner on the Sequoia before retiring to the boat's saloon to drink scotch and play "God Bless America" on Truman's piano, CBS News reported.

On May 29, 1963, President John F Kennedy celebrated his 46th birthday aboard the Sequoia.

Among the guests for the dinner-party cruise were actors David Niven and Rat Pack member Peter Lawford, who was married to Kennedy's sister.

His brother Bobby Kennedy, the attorney general, was among the family who attended, alongside select members of Washington high society.

Guests described the event to The Washington Post as a raucous party, with French cuisine, flowing Champagne, and the president even making a pass at the wife of a party guest, a prominent journalist.

The birthday party was to be his last. Seven months later, Kennedy was assassinated on an official visit to Dallas.

Johnson would use a projector to watch Western films on board the ship.

He also used the Sequoia as a retreat to cajole potential allies and formulate policy.

On board, he hosted members of Congress whom he lobbied over his landmark civil rights bill and strategized with officials as the US became further mired in the Vietnam War.

"Of course, he can get on a plane and go to Florida or anywhere else, but that requires throwing the machinery into motion," Kissinger told Newsweek in 2012. "But here, he just can say at 5 o'clock: 'I'm going to the boat, I'm taking four or five people. And you don't have to call it a meeting and you don't have to prepare the papers.'"

When Carter took office in 1977, he sought to make good on his election pledge to strip the White House of the trappings of an "imperial presidency."

With running costs totaling $800,000 a year, the Sequoia had to go.

The New York Times reported it sold to a private buyer, Thomas Malloy, for $286,000, or almost $1.5 million in today's money, when adjusted for inflation. Malloy turned the boat into a tourist attraction.

Later, Carter revealed that selling the vessel was a decision he came to regret.

"People thought I was not being reverent enough to the office I was holding, that I was too much of a peanut farmer, not enough of an aristocrat, or something like that. So I think that shows that the American people want something of, an element of, image of monarchy in the White House," he told the JFK presidential library in a 2011 interview.

After its sale, the presidential yacht had a succession of owners.

It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, spent the '90s in a shipyard, and ran chartered cruises until 2014.

However, the Sequoia fell into disrepair in subsequent years amid a legal battle over its ownership. It sat decaying in a Virginia dry dock, overrun by raccoons.

Its current owner, investor Michael Cantor, began restoring the vessel in 2019 and plans to house it at the Richardson Maritime Centre in Maryland when the work is complete, Boat International reported.

In 1973, Arab countries that were part of OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) imposed an oil embargo on the United States in retaliation for their military support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War. As a result, gas prices skyrocketed and shortages caused long lines at gas stations. While the embargo ended in 1974, it exposed the vulnerabilities of US reliance on foreign oil.

In response to the 1973 energy crisis, Carter created the Department of Energy in 1977. He implemented tax credits for homeowners who installed solar panels and passed the National Energy Act into law in 1978, moving to reduce oil imports and promote energy conservation.

In his speech, Carter emphasized the importance of "harnessing the power of the sun to enrich our lives as we move away from our crippling dependence on foreign oil."

"Today, in directly harnessing the power of the sun, we're taking the energy that God gave us, the most renewable energy that we will ever see, and using it to replace our dwindling supplies of fossil fuels," Carter said in his speech.

Reagan moved to fulfill his campaign promise to abolish the Department of Energy in 1981, but he walked back his effort in 1985 due to insufficient support in Congress. He allowed Carter's solar-panel tax credits to expire in 1985, instead championing nuclear-power initiatives.

He also believed in allowing free-market capitalism to dictate the production and use of fossil fuels rather than government regulations, a policy that became known as "Reaganomics."

Carter's solar panels were removed during repairs to the White House roof and were not reinstalled. 

"Putting them back up would be very unwise, based on cost," Reagan's White House press secretary Dale Petroskey told the Associated Press at the time, according to Yale Climate Connections.

The White House remained without solar panels until 2002, when the National Park Service installed three solar energy systems that provided hot water for grounds maintenance staff and the White House pool, according to the White House Historical Association.

In 2017, Carter leased 10 acres of his farmland in Plains, Georgia, to the solar energy company SolAmerica Energy, The New York Times reported. The company built 3,852 solar panels, enough to provide more than half of the power for the 683-person town.

"It's very special to me because I was so disappointed when the panels came off of the White House, and now to see them in Plains is just terrific," former first lady Rosalynn Carter told The New York Times.

The 30-acre campus houses The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conflict resolution, eradicating diseases, and promoting human rights around the world. The grounds also contain a restaurant, non-denominational chapel, reception hall, and meeting rooms for retreats and training sessions.

The Bible that Carter was sworn in on. The "red phone" that sat on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office that he used to communicate with the US military in crisis. Presidential speeches with Carter's handwritten notes. I figured there would be some notable artifacts at the presidential library and museum, but I didn't realize just how many and how significant they would be.

Carter grew up in the small farming town of Plains, Georgia, which is about 150 miles south of the presidential library in Atlanta. In a section about Carter's youth, a display case held Carter's sixth-grade report card, high-school diploma, class ring, and an essay that earned him an "A." I loved that the museum focused on his childhood, as well as his presidency.

The replica was designed to look exactly like the Oval Office did during Carter's presidency, complete with the same pink, gold, and green striped couches and oval-shaped rug.

In the audio tour of the room, Carter said that people would often walk into the magnificent office and feel so awestruck that they'd forget what they were going to say. Even though it was just a recreation of the actual room, I could feel the same gravitas.

Sheen narrated an introductory video at the museum's entrance and the "Day in the Life of the President" exhibit, which chronicled Carter's schedule of meetings and memos on December 11, 1978.

Sheen told Empire magazine that President Bartlet in "The West Wing" was partially inspired by Carter as well as John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton.

"We wanted to represent the very best that we had in that office in recent history and those three men covered all of the territory that Bartlet would inhabit," he said.

This was my first visit to a presidential library, but it won't be my last. I'm determined to collect stamps from all 15 across the US.