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Cheese party in 1938- Author; Library of Congress –

Our idea of fun usually typically involves a cheese tray, and judging by history, it looks like Andrew Jackson felt the same way.

In 1836, a dairy farmer from New York named Colonel Thomas S. Meacham gifted Jackson a wheel of cheese. Okay, scratch that. He gave Jackson a GIANT wheel of cheese.

It was four feet in diameter and two feet thick and weighed nearly 1,400 pounds, which is about the weight of a cow. Jackson let it age for a year in the White House, then, as his second term was winding down, he invited the public to come dig in during a reception held on Washington’s Birthday.

Guests made fairly quick work of the cheese, but the smell apparently lingered for months after.

3. Admiral Russell’s One-Cocktail Party

Cocktail Party in 1961- Author; takomabibelot-

Admiral Russell of the Mediterranean fleet took “drunk as a sailor” to a whole new level with his week-long cocktail party.

In 1694, Russell invited 5,000 sailors to the bash, where the drink of choice was a large fountain full of a brandy wine punch. For reference, the fountain was so large that it’s said men in canoes rowed around inside it to serve as bartenders.

To recreate it at home, just take 250 gallons of brandy, 125 gallons of wine, 1,400 pounds of sugar, 2,500 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and 5 pounds of nutmeg. Serve shaken, stirred, or paddled. With that, you will have your cocktail party close to Russells’s.

4. Victory Day

Victory Day in Moscow- Author; Mos.ru-

After Germany surrendered to Allied Forces in 1945, people around the world literally took to the streets to celebrate.

Fireworks, dancing, and parades were all in place. There were no rations on celebrations. A million people crowded Times Square to the point that the mayor had to tell them to go back home.

5. Opening Night of ‘Les Noces’

Stravinsky. Les noces. Score (cover of), published in 1922- Author; Unknown-

To celebrate Igor Stravinsky’s ballet Les Noces premiering in Â鶹APP, a grande fête was thrown on a Seine river barge by legendary party hosts Gerald and Sara Murphy in 1923.

The husband-and-wife team were the inspiration behind the couple in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night and the lavish parties of The Great Gatsby.

6. JFK’s 1962 Birthday Party

JFK’s Birthday given by White House Staff- Author; Robert L. Knudsen- Wikimedia

“That dress! That gal! That president! That following presidential scandal!” These were the words that followed JFK’s big of a deal bash. Hey! Even Monroe sang him a very seductive version of “happy birthday.”

JFK celebrated his 45th birthday with a Democratic fundraising rally of about 15,000 persons in Madison Square Garden.

Jack Benny hosted, and performers included Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, who sang a breathy, sultry rendition of “Happy Birthday,” while clad in what later became the world’s most expensive dress.

7. Woodstock ‘69

Part of the crowd on the first day of the Woodstock Festival- Author; Derek Redmond-

Woodstock ‘69 was a summit of unparalleled good vibes. Everything today just ends up like #fyre.

Over 400,000 gathered in the Catskills for three days of music. It was an extreme and wild party as people were all about, nudity, partying, and ‘peace, love, and understanding.’

8. Rothschild Surrealist Ball

Das Welthaus Rothschild. (The World of the Rothschilds) Mayer Amschel Rothschild with other members of his family- Author; Unknown-

If you’ve ever arrived at a themed party in a cheap mask, dreaming of something better, then this is the party of your wildest imaginings.

Famous for her wealth and her dinner parties, Marie-Hélène de Rothschild hosted everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Salvador Dalí at Château Ferrières for a Surrealist Ball in December 1972.

Dinner plates were covered with fur, a mannequin corpse was worked into the serving ware, and guests went all in on the surrealist outfits — including deer masks with tears made of diamonds. Just picture that in your mind. Pretty hard to fathom, right? But it did happen actually

9. Truman Capote Black & White Ball

Juvenile Arthritis Fundraiser Doltone House, Black and White Ball- Author; Eva Rinaldi-

In honour of Washington Post publisher Kay Graham (but really to just honour himself after ‘In Cold Blood’ made him a household name), Truman Capote threw a masquerade ball in the Plaza’s Grand Ballroom in 1966.

He planned it all summer long, while finding particular delight in lording over a guest list that mixed ‘Truman’s swans’ with everyday people.

The party managed to mash up glamour and casual relaxation (stars dancing with doormen, bare feet in the Plaza fountain) in a way that couldn’t be recreated today — not for lack of trying, but just that it would be recreated 100% correctly.

10. Bianca Jagger Studio 54 Birthday Party

Bianca Jagger- Author; Kingkongphoto-

Of the many glamorous and epic parties held at Studio 54, Bianca Jagger’s 30th birthday in 1977 tops the list. Fashion designer Halston hosted and clothed the guest of honour who didn’t actually ride the horse into Studio 54, like the legend goes. That was a bit of an exaggeration and Bianca was too much of an animal lover to do that.

She instead jumped up on it unplanned and had a nude man covered in gold glitter lead her and the white steed around the dance floor.

11. P. Diddy’s 2004 White Party

P Diddy in 2014- Author; Reckless Dream Photography-

Diddy showed up in a helicopter to his annual white party while carrying the Declaration of Independence. This entrance makes slightly more sense when you remember 2004 was an election year in the US, and Diddy was involved in the Rock the Vote movement.

It was quite a  wild year and a wild party at that.

12. Warner Bros. Studio Rededication

Warner Bros- Author; LiAnG-

In June of 1990, The Burbank Studios hosted a party to celebrate its return to the original name, Warner Bros.

The company hired David Wolper (who’d just done the 1984 Olympics), Steven Spielberg and Jack Haley, Jr. to put on the event.

Hollywood author Laurie Jacobson said the company invited everyone who had ever worked at Warner’s, combined two sound stages to recreate Rick’s Cafe from “Casablanca,” and filled the night with incredible production numbers.

13. Nicole Richie’s 2007 Memorial Day BBQ

Nicole Richie- Author; Eva Rinaldi-

This party is mostly remembered in infamy — particularly for its email invite. Meant as a joke, Nicole Richie said of it later, the invite laid out some guidelines:

“Let’s glorify this day in your sluttiest tops and your tightest pair of Tsubi jeans, even though we have no clue what Memorial Day really means!! There will be a scale at the front door. No girls over 100 pounds allowed in. Start starving yourself now.”

It gets even more 2007 than that: former The O.C. star Mischa Barton fell ill and had to be hospitalized during the party for mixing cocktails and prescription antibiotics. No report on whether Â鶹APP thought any of it was funny

14. Alexander Wang’s 2017 #WangFest

Alexander Wang at the 2009 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show- Author; Ed Kavishe-

Fashion designer Alexander Wang consistently throws the most epic parties of fashion week, so it came as no surprise when he brought the hype to Bushwick for a party that included a Cardi B performance and plenty of Kardashian/Jenners.

15. 2014 Met Gala

The Met- Author; Kai Pilger-

The 2014 Met Gala is epic because, without it, Solange, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, and their billions of dollars wouldn’t have come together in the elevator brawl that launched a 1,000 musical hits.