Biography of Melania Trump (a.k.a.: Melania Knauss)

Melania Trump (born Melanija Knavs, Germanized as Melania Knauss; April 26, 1970) is a Slovene-American former model and businesswoman who served as the first lady of the United States from 2017 to 2021, as the wife of President Donald Trump.

Trump grew up in Slovenia (then part of Yugoslavia), and worked as a fashion model through agencies in the European fashion capitals of Milan and Paris, before moving to New York City in 1996. She was associated with Irene Marie Models and Trump Model Management. In 2005, she married the real estate developer and TV personality Donald Trump and gave birth to their son Barron in 2006. Later that year, she became an American naturalized citizen. She is the second naturalized woman – after Louisa Adams – and the first non-native English speaker to become first lady.