The president's residence
23 January 2009 12:00 AM
The president's official residence in Washington – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – has a history scarcely less colourful than that of the presidency.
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Bill Clinton: The great seducer
22 January 2009 12:00 AM
Inconveniently, historical eras do not exactly follow the calendar. In reality, the 20th century ended with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, while the 21st century did not truly begin until two hijacked planes smashed into the World Trade Center on 11 September, 2001. In the intervening years, still mostly untroubled by the "war on terror", America moved from superpower victorious in the Cold War to unchallenged hyper-puissance, in the phrase of a French Foreign Minister.
![](http://www.independent.co.uk/migration_catalog/article5119940.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/john-f-kennedy.jpeg "<p>John F Kennedy 1961-1963</p><p>Born: 29 May, 1917.</p><p>Died: 22 November, 1963.</p><p>Party: Democratic.</p><p>Religion: Roman Catholic.</p><p>Age upon taking office: 43.</p><p>Height: 6ft 1in.</p><p>Married to: Jacqueline Lee Bouvier.</p><p>Children: Two sons and one daughter.</p><p>Nickname: "JFK", "Jack".</p><p>Vice-president: Lyndon B Johnson.</p><p>Ran against: Richard M Nixon.</p>")
![](http://www.independent.co.uk/migration_catalog/article5119938.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/harry-s-truman.jpeg "<p>Harry S Truman - 1945-1953</p><p>Born: 8 May, 1884.</p><p>Died: 26 December, 1972.</p><p>Party: Democratic.</p><p>Religion: Baptist.</p><p>Age upon taking office: 60.</p><p>Height: 5ft 9in.</p><p>Married to: Elizabeth "Bess" Virginia Wallace.</p><p>Children: One daughter.</p><p>Nickname: "Give 'Em Hell Harry".</p><p>Vice-Presidents: None (first term); Alben W Barkley (second term).</p><p>Ran against: Thomas E. Dewey</p>")
![](http://www.independent.co.uk/migration_catalog/article5119939.ece/ALTERNATES/w140/dwight-d-eisenhower.jpeg "<p>Dwight D Eisenhower - 1953-1961</p><p>Born: 14 October, 1890.</p><p>Died: 28 March, 1969.</p><p>Party: Republican.</p><p>Religion: Presbyterian.</p><p>Age upon taking office: 62.</p><p>Height: 5ft 10 1/2in.</p><p>Married to: Marie "Mamie" Geneva Doud.</p><p>Children: Two sons.</p><p>Nickname: "Ike".</p><p>Vice-President: Richard M Nixon.</p><p>Ran against: Adlai E Stevenson.</p>")
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