The White House East Wing Through the Years: Famous Moments in Its History

The World War II origins of the White House East Wing, now demolished

When the White House East Wing was reduced to rubble this week to make way for a lavish ballroom, a physical piece of World War II history went down with it. The modern East Wing was constructed in 1942 under Franklin Delano Roosevelt to conceal an underground White House bomb shelter built in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor. The bunker was designed to withstand a “direct nuclear hit” while a two-story extension to the East Wing on top of the unde…

The White House East Wing through the years: Famous moments in its history

The East Wing was leveled on Thursday and here is a look at famous moments in its history.