US first lady Laura Bush said that White House is an inspiring symbol of national endurance. Now, as she and President George W. Bush prepare to leave after eight years, she is hosting a History channel special, "The White House: Behind Closed Doors." This 90-minute documentary is a combination inside look, history lesson and parting gift from a grateful resident. "I'm very proud of how beautiful the White House is," Mrs. Bush said during a phone call Tuesday from the upstairs living quarters. She said she's proud, too, of the White House staff "all the people who work here, who've worked here for many presidents. This was a way for me to pay tribute to them as well; to thank them, here at the end of our time." Masterminded by George Washington the only president who never got to live there, the White House was first occupied by John Adams in 1800, and since then has been the official residence of 40-and-counting chief executives. It's a bustling place of business, and a unique museum. As with the US itself, the White House has faced many challenges as early as 1814, when British troops set it ablaze. It was reduced to a charred shell. But within a few years, the White House was rebuilt.