List of U.S. State Dinners
A state dinner in the United States is a formal dinner held in honor of a foreign head of state, such as a king, queen, president, or any head of government. It is hosted by the President of the United States and held in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington D.C. Other formal dinners for important people of other nations, such as a prince or princess, are called official dinners, the difference being that the federal government does not pay for them. Nowadays these dinners are more often black tie rather than white tie (see formal wear).
The first state dinner was held on December 12, 1874 by President Ulysses S. Grant to welcome King David Kalakaua of the Kingdom of Hawai'i.
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