History of Melania Trump in Timeline

Melania Trump is a Slovenian-American former model who served as First Lady of the United States during Donald Trump's presidency from 2017 to 2021, and again from 2025 onwards. She holds the distinction of being the first naturalized citizen to assume the role of First Lady. She is also the second foreign-born First Lady and the second Roman Catholic First Lady. Notably, she is also the second First Lady to serve two non-consecutive terms.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

April 26, 1970: Birth in Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia

On April 26, 1970, Melanija Knavs was born in Novo Mesto, Yugoslavia, which is now part of present-day Slovenia.

April 26, 1970: Melania Trump Born

On April 26, 1970, Melanija Knavs, later known as Melania Knauss Trump, was born. She is a Slovenian and American former model who served as the First Lady of the United States.

1982: First ladies study

In 1982, Siena College Research Institute conducted their first study surveying scholars and historians on their assessments of American first ladies.

1985: Influence of the United States

In 1985, the debut of CNN International gave Melania and her family access to American media, influencing her with global fashion.

1988: Start of polling for candidate's spouse

In 1988, polling began for candidate's spouse.

1992: Runner-up in Jana Magazine Look of the Year contest

In 1992, Melania was named runner-up in the Jana Magazine Look of the Year contest.

1993: Modeling job as first female president

In 1993, Melania had a modeling job in which she portrayed the first female president of the United States.

1995: Meeting Paolo Zampolli

In 1995, Melania met Paolo Zampolli, co-owner of Metropolitan Models, in Paris during a scouting trip. Zampolli later became one of the few consistent figures in her life and a friend of Donald Trump.

1996: Immigration to the United States

In 1996, Melania Knauss immigrated to the United States after being sponsored by Paolo Zampolli, who hired her to work as a model.

1996: Move to Manhattan

In 1996, Melania moved to Manhattan to pursue her modeling career, encouraged by Paolo Zampolli.

1997: Sexually explicit photoshoot for Max magazine

In 1997, Melania was featured in a sexually explicit photoshoot for a French men's magazine, Max.

September 1998: Meeting Donald Trump at a party

In September 1998, Melania met Donald Trump at a party organized by Paolo Zampolli, despite Donald having a date with Celina Midelfart.

1998: Meeting Donald Trump

In 1998, Melania Knauss met real estate developer Donald Trump in Manhattan, after being introduced by Paolo Zampolli. Shortly afterward, Melania and Donald began dating.

February 1999: Joins Trump Model Management and Appears in Sports Illustrated

In February 1999, Melania joined Trump Model Management and appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, photographed by Antoine Verglas.

October 7, 1999: Donald Trump announces candidacy for Reform Party presidential nomination

On October 7, 1999, Donald Trump announced his candidacy for the Reform Party presidential nomination, which Melania supported. She stated she would be 'very traditional, like Betty Ford or Jackie Kennedy' if he became president.

1999: Attention after Howard Stern interview

In 1999, Melania and Donald Trump gained attention after an interview with Howard Stern, where they answered lewd sexual questions. Donald often showcased Melania at meetings.

January 2000: Appearance in GQ Magazine

In January 2000, Melania was featured in GQ magazine. The shoot, facilitated by her relationship with Donald Trump, took place on his Boeing 727.

January 2000: Break-up and Reconciliation with Donald Trump

In January 2000, news broke of Melania and Donald Trump's breakup, though they reconciled a few months later.

2000: Support for Donald Trump's Presidential Campaign

In 2000, Melania supported Donald Trump during his presidential campaign.

2001: Melania receives green card

In 2001, Melania received her green card, granting her permanent residency in the United States.

2002: Moving in together at Trump Tower

In 2002, Melania and Donald Trump moved in together at Trump Tower.

April 2004: First appearance on The Apprentice

In April 2004, Melania made her first appearance on Donald Trump's game show, The Apprentice.

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April 26, 2004: Engagement to Donald Trump

On April 26, 2004, Donald Trump proposed to Melania on her birthday while they were leaving to attend the Met Gala. She accepted and signed his prenuptial agreement.

January 22, 2005: Donald and Melania Wedding

On January 22, 2005, Donald and Melania Trump were married at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea church in Palm Beach, Florida, followed by a reception at Donald's Mar-a-Lago estate planned by Melania. The wedding was attended by numerous celebrities. Melania had her sister Ines as her bridesmaid and arranged all wedding details, declining Donald's suggestion to broadcast the event on NBC.

2005: Marriage to Donald Trump

In 2005, Melania Knauss and Donald Trump married.

March 20, 2006: Birth of Barron William Trump

On March 20, 2006, Melania and Donald Trump's son, Barron William Trump, was born. Melania chose Barron's middle name and dedicated her time to raising him, largely avoiding nannies and limiting her social engagements, which led to Donald's renewed interest in supermodels.

July 2006: Alleged extramarital affair

In July 2006, Donald Trump allegedly had an extramarital affair with pornographic actress Stormy Daniels after his marriage to Melania and the birth of their son. A second affair with model Karen McDougal also allegedly occurred in 2006.

July 28, 2006: Melania Becomes U.S. Citizen

On July 28, 2006, Melania Trump became a citizen of the United States. Subsequently, she sponsored her parents' immigration through the "chain migration" process. Melania and her son, Barron, maintained dual citizenship in both the United States and Slovenia.

2009: Launch of Jewelry Brand

In 2009, Melania Trump started her own jewelry brand, Melania.

2016: Disapproval rating greater than approval rating

During the 2016 presidential election, Melania Trump became the only candidate's spouse since 1988 to have a disapproval rating greater than her approval rating.

2016: Limited campaign activity

In 2016, Melania Trump had limited campaign activity.

2016: Campaign appearances and controversies

In 2016, during Donald Trump's presidential election campaign, Melania made rare appearances, assisted with strategy, faced press coverage regarding erotic photos and plagiarism accusations from a speech at the Republican National Convention. She also defended her husband following the release of the Access Hollywood tape.

2016: Publication of 1997 photoshoot by the New York Post

In 2016, photos from a 1997 sexually explicit photo shoot featuring Melania were published by the New York Post, bringing renewed attention to the images.

January 2017: Approval rating before becoming first lady

In the months leading up to January 2017 when she became first lady, Melania Trump's approval rating stood at 36 or 37%.

January 20, 2017: Melania Stays in New York After Donald's Inauguration

On January 20, 2017, after Donald Trump's inauguration, Melania announced she would remain in Manhattan with their son Barron until the end of the school year. During this time, she also negotiated new terms for her prenuptial agreement with Donald to ensure Barron's inheritance.

2017: Melania becomes First Lady

In 2017, Melania Trump became the First Lady of the United States for the first time as the wife of President Donald Trump.

April 2018: Diagnosis with Kidney Disease

In April 2018, Melania Trump learned that she was afflicted with kidney disease, and she informed her parents, husband, and sister. She later began treatment in May.

April 2018: Approval rating increase after allegations against husband

In April 2018, Melania Trump's approval rating increased to 57% in a CNN poll after she received public sympathy amid allegations that her husband had committed adultery.

May 7, 2018: Be Best awareness campaign launch

On May 7, 2018, Melania Trump announced her official public initiative as first lady, the Be Best awareness campaign, in the White House Rose Garden. The campaign aimed to support children's welfare, advocate against cyberbullying, and prevent opioid abuse.

August 9, 2018: Parents granted American citizenship

On August 9, 2018, Melania Trump's parents were granted American citizenship, which led to accusations of hypocrisy due to Donald Trump's stance against chain migration.

October 2018: Solo tour of Africa

In October 2018, Melania Trump embarked on a solo tour of Africa, visiting Ghana, Malawi, Kenya, and Egypt, focusing on children's welfare and promoting relief work by the United States Agency for International Development. She faced criticism for her fashion choices and later claimed to be "the most bullied person in the world".

2018: Criticism of zero tolerance policy

In 2018, Melania Trump openly criticized her husband's "zero tolerance" policy regarding asylum at the Mexico–United States border, expressing her opposition to family separations and influencing his decision to end the policy.

2018: Challenges as First Lady

In 2018, Melania faced challenges that included allegations of extramarital affairs by her husband, surgery for kidney disease, and scrutiny during a tour of Africa. Despite these challenges, she prioritized children's issues, launching the Be Best campaign.

October 2019: Justice Department lawsuit against Winston Wolkoff

In October 2019, the Justice Department filed a civil suit against Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, alleging breach of a nondisclosure agreement.

2019: Criticism of Be Best campaign's hypocrisy

In 2019, the Be Best campaign faced criticism for perceived hypocrisy, especially after President Trump made critical Twitter posts about Greta Thunberg, a teenage environmental activist. This highlighted the contrast between Melania's anti-cyberbullying initiative and her husband's online behavior.

April 2020: Staff reorganization

In April 2020, Melania Trump carried out a major reorganization of her staff, appointing Marcia Lee Kelly as her senior advisor and Emma Doyle as her policy advisor. Lindsay Reynolds was removed as chief of staff.

October 1, 2020: Release of audiotapes by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff

On October 1, 2020, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff released audiotapes featuring Melania Trump making profane statements about her image, role as first lady, and frustration with Christmas decorations. The tapes were released alongside Winston Wolkoff's book, Melania and Me.

Melania and Me: The Rise and Fall of My Friendship with the First Lady

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December 2020: Ranked as the worst first lady

In December 2020, the Siena College Research Institute released a study in which Melania Trump was ranked as the worst of 40 assessed American first ladies. Her "Be Best" initiative was also ranked the least-effective.

2020: Endorsement of election fraud claims

In 2020, Melania endorsed her husband's false claims of election fraud in the presidential election.

2020: Endorsement of false election statements

In 2020, despite Donald Trump's loss in the election, Melania Trump endorsed his false statement that he had been the legitimate election winner. She focused on compiling photo albums and remained in the White House residence.

2020: Leaked tapes defending border policies

In 2020, leaked tapes revealed Melania Trump defending some practices of the "zero tolerance" policy at the Mexico-United States border, questioning asylum claims, and dismissing concerns about substandard conditions for children.

February 2021: Lawsuit against Winston Wolkoff dropped

In February 2021, under the Biden administration, the Justice Department dropped the civil suit against Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.

2021: Least popular first lady

In 2021, Melania Trump finished her tenure as the least popular first lady since polling began, with a rating of 42%.

2021: End of First Lady tenure

In 2021, Melania Trump's first tenure as First Lady of the United States came to an end with the conclusion of Donald Trump's presidency.

2021: Leaving the White House

In 2021, after leaving the White House, Melania largely stayed out of the public view.

September 2022: Interview with Breitbart News

In September 2022, Melania Trump stated in an interview with Breitbart News that audiotapes released by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff had been strategically edited.

November 2023: Attendance at Rosalynn Carter's memorial service

In November 2023, Melania Trump attended the memorial service for former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

July 2024: Statement after attempted assassination and RNC appearance

In July 2024, Melania Trump released a statement following the attempted assassination of her husband and appeared at the 2024 Republican National Convention, though she declined an invitation to speak. She also announced her intention to publish a memoir titled "Melania".

Melania

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September 2024: Hurricane Helene hits North Carolina

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene hit parts of North Carolina, leading Melania Trump to travel with President Trump to the affected areas in January 2025.

November 5, 2024: Donald wins election

On November 5, 2024, Donald Trump won the election.

December 2024: Filming of documentary starts

In December 2024, filming started for the documentary film on Melania Trump, directed by Brett Ratner.

2024: Value of early modeling earnings (adjusted for inflation)

In 2024, the $20,000 earned by Melania from early modeling jobs is equivalent to $40,000.

2024: Melania defends nude modeling work

In September of 2024, Melania posted on X stating she stood 'proudly behind [her] nude modeling work'.

January 2025: Documentary announcement and cryptocurrency launch

In January 2025, Amazon MGM Studios announced the licensing of a documentary film on Melania Trump. She also launched her own cryptocurrency, the $Melania coin.

January 2025: Southern California Wildfires

In January 2025, Melania Trump traveled with President Trump to Southern California to monitor the progress of fire rescue services due to the wildfires.

January 20, 2025: Second term as First Lady begins

On January 20, 2025, during the 60th United States presidential inauguration, Melania Trump became the second first lady to hold the position two times non-consecutively. In the first few days of her second term, she traveled with President Trump to parts of North Carolina that were hit by Hurricane Helene and to Southern California to monitor the progress of fire rescue services for the January 2025 Southern California wildfires.

February 2025: White House tours resume

In February 2025, Melania Trump announced that public tours of the White House would resume on the 25th day of the month.

March 3, 2025: First solo appearance as First Lady

On March 3, 2025, Melania Trump made her first solo appearance as first lady for the term by attending a roundtable discussion at Capitol Hill on the "Take It Down Act".