October 12, 1901 The White House

On October 12, 1901, US President Theodore Roosevelt officially renamed the Executive House the White House.

Before that, the building was called the Presidential Palace, the President's House, or the Executive Office Building.

In December 1790, President George Washington signed a document called the Act of Congress, which designated the city of Washington as the capital as follows: ...the seat of the federal government shall be in a district, the area of which shall not exceed 10 square miles on the banks of the Potomac.... It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, D.C.

The president personally, together with the city architect Pierre L'Enfant, chose the site on which the presidential palace would be built. The announced design competition was won by James Hoban. The building began construction in October 1792, and was officially handed over for use in 1800.

George Washington commissioned the building, but did not live in it. John Adams arrived by carriage at the White House, when all the walls had not yet been plastered and the skeletons were protruding. After another 30 years, pipes for running water were laid, and the White House acquired central heating in 1835. Electric lighting has been available since 1891, and the office in the West Wing was built during the administration of Theodore Roosevelt.

The first president to use it as his residence was John Adams. Since then, every presidential couple has made some changes to the building's interior, as the White House is not only an administrative building, but also a private home for the president and his family. During World War I, Woodrow Wilson let sheep graze on the lawn in front of the White House to help people at the front, and during World War II, there was a proposal to repaint the traditionally white walls of the White House in camouflage colors.

During its existence, the White House suffered 2 fires - during the Anglo-American War in 1814 and in 1929, when a fire engulfed the West Wing.

The internal layout of the White House was rebuilt during the time of President Harry Truman and currently only its outer walls are unchanged.

The six-story building has 132 rooms and 32 bathrooms, 412 doors, 147 windows, 4 stairwells and 3 elevators. The building has recreational facilities, such as a tennis court, swimming pool, movie theater, sports equipment, etc. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States.

The White House is where the US government meets and is the workplace of the president's staff. Its security is provided by the Special Services.

Public visits are available from 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, between 7:30 a.m. and midnight on Fridays, and between 7:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Saturdays, except on national holidays or unless otherwise announced.