LONDON: In the ever-more competitive struggle to get noticed a couple of polo-playing Virginia socialites managed to swan past some of the tightest security on the planet and gatecrash Barack Obama’s first state dinner as president on November 24.

The Washington society was aghast while the Secret Service was red faced with embarrassment after Tareq and Michaele Salahi sashayed into the White House, and posed for photos with everyone from the vice-president to the marine guards, then posting the pictures on Facebook under the factually challenged caption, “I was honoured to be invited.”

These White House’s uninvited guests were not the first and won’t be the last to gatecrash high profile events self-styled “comedy terrorist”. Here is a list of other gatecrashers:

• Aaron Barschak gatecrashed Prince William’s 21st birthday party at Windsor Castle in 2003, dressed as Osama bin Laden. He scaled a tree and talked his way past police before planting kisses on the prince’s cheeks.

• Karl Power has turned up uninvited at a number of sporting events. Most famously he appeared in Manchester United’s team photo before a Champions League match against Bayern Munich in 2001. He has also walked out to bat at Headingley, danced the haka at an England rugby union international, played on Centre Court at Wimbledon.

• The Italian TV presenter Paolo Calabresi received red carpet treatment at a Real Madrid Champions League match with AS Roma by pretending to be Nicholas Cage.

• Ali Dia claimed to be the cousin of world footballer of the year George Weah but lasted just 20 minutes for Southampton in 1996 before the team boss, Graeme Souness, realised he had been duped.

• Alex King joined a line up of celebrities meeting Prince Charles and Camilla at the London West End premiere of Alan Bennett’s The History Boys in 2006 to win a

£ 100,000 bet.