Melania Trump, the former First Lady of the United States, was born on April 26, 1970, in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, which was then part of Yugoslavia. As of 2024, she is 54 years old.
Early Life and Career
Melania Trump, born Melanija Knavs, grew up in Sevnica, Slovenia, where her father, Viktor Knavs, sold cars and her mother, Amalija Knavs, worked in the textile industry. She began her modeling career at the age of 16 and later attended the University of Ljubljana for one year before pursuing modeling full-time.
Melania's modeling career took her to Milan and Paris, and in 1996, she moved to New York City, where she continued to model and appeared on the covers of several magazines, including the 2000 Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
Marriage and Family
Melania met Donald Trump in 1998 at a fashion industry party in New York City. After a long courtship, they married on January 22, 2005, at the Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida. In 2006, Melania gave birth to their son, Barron William Trump, and also became a U.S. citizen that same year.
Role as First Lady
When Donald Trump was elected as the 45th President of the United States in 2016, Melania became the second foreign-born First Lady, after Louisa Catherine Adams, and the only First Lady to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. As First Lady, Melania focused on issues affecting children, launching the BE BEST initiative in 2018. This campaign promoted healthy living, kindness, and respect among children, with pillars addressing well-being, social media, and opioid abuse.
During her tenure, Melania traveled extensively, including a solo tour of Africa in 2018, visiting Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and Egypt. She also supported various conservation projects at the White House and worked with organizations like the American Red Cross and FEMA to educate children about natural disasters and other critical issues.
Recent Life and Challenges
After leaving the White House on January 20, 2021, Melania has continued to face personal challenges. In 2024, she celebrated her 53rd birthday in a low-key manner, still mourning the loss of her mother, Amalija Knavs, who passed away earlier in the year. Despite these personal struggles, Melania remains involved in managing her husband's legal issues and continues to prioritize her role as a mother to Barron, who is set to graduate from the Oxbridge Academy in 2024.
Melania's commitment to her family and her community has been a consistent theme throughout her life. Her legacy as First Lady is marked by her advocacy for children's welfare and her efforts to promote kindness and respect globally. For more detailed information on her life and initiatives, you can refer to her profile on Wikipedia.
