July 29, 2025

Julia Gardiner Tyler

July 29, 1820

Julia Gardiner Tyler – Born July 29, 1820 (Gardiners Island, NY). Died July 10, 1889 (Richmond, VA)

White House Years: 1844-1845

○      Julia Tyler was the first first lady to marry a president who had already taken office.

○      Julia Tyler is the only first lady who was born in the early 19th century to still have a living grandchild in the 21st century (Lyon Gardiner Tyler, Jr., died October 9, 2020)

○      Julia Tyler was the first first lady to seek out newspaper coverage of her as a public figure.

○      She began the custom of having “Hail to the Chief” played for all official presidential appearances.

Quotes:

-       “This winter I intend to do something in the way of entertaining that shall be the admiration and talk of the Washington world.”