President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev in Red Square during the Moscow Summit. 5/31/88. More Photos - Summits with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev
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President Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Gorbachev in Red Square during the Moscow Summit. 5/31/88.

More Photos - Summits with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev

Source: reagan.utexas.edu

Presidential Memorabilia After Theodore Roosevelt won the 1904 election, he stated that he would not be a candidate for President again. However, as the sitting President of the party, he had a strong influence over who the Republicans would nominate in 1908. William Howard Taft, a close political friend of Roosevelt’s, received the nomination on the first ballot. This stickpin from the archives of the Truman Presidential Library features a portrait photograph of William Howard Taft. Presidential Campaigns from the Truman Library
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Presidential Memorabilia

After Theodore Roosevelt won the 1904 election, he stated that he would not be a candidate for President again. However, as the sitting President of the party, he had a strong influence over who the Republicans would nominate in 1908.

William Howard Taft, a close political friend of Roosevelt’s, received the nomination on the first ballot. This stickpin from the archives of the Truman Presidential Library features a portrait photograph of William Howard Taft.

Presidential Campaigns from the Truman Library

Memorial Day Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day - a time set aside to honor fallen soldiers of the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers.  The first Decoration Day was observed on May 30, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War.  On that day, the largest known ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery, across the river from Washington D.C. Read More This Memorial Day weekend, we honor and thank all of the men and women who have served our country.  From the White House Blog - 13 Presidents Mark Memorial Day
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Memorial Day

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day - a time set aside to honor fallen soldiers of the Civil War by decorating their graves with flowers.  The first Decoration Day was observed on May 30, 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War.  On that day, the largest known ceremony was held at Arlington National Cemetery, across the river from Washington D.C. Read More

This Memorial Day weekend, we honor and thank all of the men and women who have served our country. 

From the White House Blog - 13 Presidents Mark Memorial Day

Source: whitehouse.gov

May 25, 1961

Watch President John F. Kennedy’s deliver his message to Congress on the “urgent national need” to send a man safely to the moon.

Source: jfklibrary.org

lbjlibrary: May 25, 1961. President Kennedy tells Congress:  ”…I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”
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lbjlibrary:

May 25, 1961. President Kennedy tells Congress:

 ”…I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

(via jfklibrary)

Source: Flickr / nasacommons

Jazz legend Duke Ellington died on this day, May 24, 1974 On April 24, 1969, Ellington celebrated his 70th birthday at the White House where he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The medal was presented by President Richard Nixon, who himself had played the piano since childhood.  From the President’s remarks: “When we think of freedom, we think of many things. But Duke Ellington is one who has carried the message of freedom to all the nations of the world through music, through understanding, understanding that reaches over all national boundaries and over all boundaries of prejudice and over all boundaries of language.. In the royalty of American music, no man swings more or stands higher than the Duke.” Afterwards, the President played “Happy Birthday” on the piano for the Duke while guests at the White House sang along. Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974
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Jazz legend Duke Ellington died on this day, May 24, 1974

On April 24, 1969, Ellington celebrated his 70th birthday at the White House where he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The medal was presented by President Richard Nixon, who himself had played the piano since childhood.  From the President’s remarks:

“When we think of freedom, we think of many things. But Duke Ellington is one who has carried the message of freedom to all the nations of the world through music, through understanding, understanding that reaches over all national boundaries and over all boundaries of prejudice and over all boundaries of language..

In the royalty of American music, no man swings more or stands higher than the Duke.”

Afterwards, the President played “Happy Birthday” on the piano for the Duke while guests at the White House sang along.

Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington

April 29, 1899 - May 24, 1974


Source: research.archives.gov

Before they were Presidents -

During World War II, George Bush became a decorated naval pilot who flew torpedo bombers.  In 1944, he was shot down over the island of Chi Chi Jima and rescued. 

Pictured here is Navy Pilot George Bush in a VT-51 “Avenger,” 1944; and World War II aircraft and ships. 

Source: bushlibrary.tamu.edu

Charles Lindbergh captured the world’s imagination when he flew non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean by himself.  Others had flown the distance as teams, but “Lucky Lindy” was the first pilot to do it alone.  It took him 33 1/2 hours, between May 20-21, 1927.  Lindbergh was greeted with a hero’s return when he traveled back to the United States.  In Washington D.C., President Coolidge welcomed his ship through the Chesapeake and the Potomac rivers with a grand entourage of warships and aircraft.  At the time, Herbert Hoover was the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.  This photo shows Hoover meeting Lindbergh in Washington D.C. after the trans-Atlantic flight. -from the Hoover Library
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Charles Lindbergh captured the world’s imagination when he flew non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean by himself.  Others had flown the distance as teams, but “Lucky Lindy” was the first pilot to do it alone.  It took him 33 1/2 hours, between May 20-21, 1927. 

Lindbergh was greeted with a hero’s return when he traveled back to the United States.  In Washington D.C., President Coolidge welcomed his ship through the Chesapeake and the Potomac rivers with a grand entourage of warships and aircraft. 

At the time, Herbert Hoover was the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.  This photo shows Hoover meeting Lindbergh in Washington D.C. after the trans-Atlantic flight.

-from the Hoover Library

Source: charleslindbergh.com

President Obama hosts the G-8 Summit at Camp David today and tomorrow. Although many Heads of State have visited the presidential retreat since it was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, this weekend will be the first time such a large group of foreign leaders have come together at Camp David. FDR originally called the retreat in Maryland “Shangri-La.”  This didn’t suit Dwight D. Eisenhower who stated the name was “just a little fancy for a Kansas farm boy.”  As President, he renamed the compound “Camp David” in honor of his grandson David Eisenhower. Here’s a photo of David Eisenhower at the entrance to Camp David. 10/2/60 More - Camp David history from the Eisenhower Library
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President Obama hosts the G-8 Summit at Camp David today and tomorrow. Although many Heads of State have visited the presidential retreat since it was established by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942, this weekend will be the first time such a large group of foreign leaders have come together at Camp David.

FDR originally called the retreat in Maryland “Shangri-La.”  This didn’t suit Dwight D. Eisenhower who stated the name was “just a little fancy for a Kansas farm boy.”  As President, he renamed the compound “Camp David” in honor of his grandson David Eisenhower.

Here’s a photo of David Eisenhower at the entrance to Camp David. 10/2/60

More - Camp David history from the Eisenhower Library

Source: eisenhower.archives.gov

Orders for Gerald R. Ford to report for military duty in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  5/13/42
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Orders for Gerald R. Ford to report for military duty in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 
5/13/42

Source: presidentialtimeline.org