A Brief History of White House State Dinners

Placecards

Highly coveted in diplomatic circles, an invitation to a state dinner gives the bearer access to some of the world's most
Corbis

Placecards
Highly coveted in diplomatic circles, an invitation to a state dinner gives the bearer access to some of the world's most powerful people. The most prestigious seats, of course, are at the tables of the President and First Lady.

Get the Latest Photos from Time.com
Get TIME photos and pictures of the week delivered directly to your inbox.