List Of All US Presidents

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1 George Washington (1789-1797)

• Full name: George Washington
• Born: February 22, 1732
• Died: December 14, 1799
• Age at inauguration: 57
• Political party: Independent
• Known for: Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, hero of the revolution, first president of the US, presided over the convention that drafted the United States Constitution. Many buildings, places and monuments are built for or named after Washington.
• What you may not know about Washington: To prevent a precedent for US presidents not to get any salary, the already wealthy Washington finally accepted a $25,000 yearly salary. He at first declined this because he wanted to have an image of a public servant.

If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. -George Washington

2 John Adams (1797-1801)

• Full name: John Adams
• Born: October 30, 1735
• Died: July 4, 1826
• Age at inauguration: 61
• Political party: Federalist
• Known for: A lifelong opponent of slavery (he never bought a slave himself). He was a strong advocate for independence from Great Britain
• What you may not know about Adams: The house Adams bought as a foreign ambassador in The Netherlands (then Dutch Republic) was the first American-owned embassy on foreign soil.

The happiness of society is the end of government. -John Adams

3 Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

• Full name: Thomas Jefferson
• Born: April 13, 1743
• Died: July 4, 1826
• Age at inauguration: 57
• Political party: Democratic-Republican
• Known for: Jefferson wrote the original draft of the declaration of independence
• What you may not know about Jefferson: Thomas Jefferson opposed slavery his entire life, even though he owned hundreds and only freed a few. Being criticized for his racism and slavery issues doesn’t change the fact that Jefferson is still considered one of the greatest US Presidents

When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe. -Thomas Jefferson

4 James Madison (1809-1817)

• Full name: James Madison, Jr.
• Born: March 16, 1751
• Died: June 28, 1836
• Age at inauguration: 57
• Political party: Democratic-Republican
• Known for: Madison was one of the founders of the US Constitution
• What you may not know about Madison: Madison originally objected to a Bill of Rights. Not only because he thought that the Bill of Rights gave protection to powers that were not granted to the federal government, but also because he thought it was dangerous as people would consider certain given rights to mean the absence of other rights.

The essence of Government is power; and power, lodged as it must be in human hands, will ever be liable to abuse. -James Madison in a speech before the Virginia State Constitutional Convention, December 1 1829

5 James Monroe (1817-1825)

• Full name: James Monroe
• Born: April 28, 1758
• Died: July 4, 1831
• Age at inauguration: 41
• Political party: Democratic-Republican
• Known for: Monroes presidency meant the “Era of Good Feelings”, during which there was a strong tendency to decide matters in favor of national unity instead of political party interests. The term “Era of Good Feelings” however was more one of sarcasm and skepticism, because there was actually much restraint and intra-party struggle.
• What you may not know about Monroe: Monrovia, Liberia is named after President Monroe. With the help of the private organization the “American Colonization Society” Monroe sent thousands of freedmen (freed slaves) to this new African colony. This was largely to prevent them from causing an uprising among current slaves, as Monroe was still a slaveholder himself. Perhaps a bit off-track, but in my eyes not unrelated, Liberia today is considered the most corrupt country in the world.

Preparation for war is a constant stimulus to suspicion and ill will. -James Monroe

6 John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)

• Full name: John Quincy Adams
• Born: July 11, 1767
• Died: February 23, 1848
• Age at inauguration: 41
• Political party: Democratic-Republican
• Known for: Adams was one of the important negotiators for the Treaty of Ghent, ending the War of 1812. Also co-responsible for the annexation of Florida, through the Florida Treaty. He also kept a staggering fifty-volume detailed diary from his 11th until his death, still serving as one of the key collections of first-hand information of that period.
• What you may not know about Adams: As an attorney and lifetime antislavery advocate in 1841 -years after his presidency, during that of Martin van Buren- Adams successfully represented the defendants in the “United States v. The Amistad Africans” case.

All men profess honesty as long as they can. To believe all men honest would be folly. To believe none so is something worse. -John Quincy Adams

7 Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)

• Full name: Andrew Jackson
• Born: March 15, 1767
• Died: June 8, 1845
• Age at inauguration: 61
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Celebrated for his active protection of democracy and civilian liberties and at the same time criticized for his support for slavery and aggressive role in the Indian removal.
• What you may not know about Jackson: Jackson was a Freemason and the first president to be Grandmaster of a State Lodge. Also the first president to experience an assassination attempt.

We are beginning a new era in our government. I cannot too strongly urge the necessity of a rigid economy and an inflexible determination not to enlarge the income beyond the real necessities of the government. -Andrew Jackson

8 Martin van Buren (1837-1841)

• Full name: Martin Van Buren
• Born: December 5, 1782
• Died: July 24, 1862
• Age at inauguration: 44
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Specifically known for the “Panic of 1837″, a financial crisis in the US that lasted nearly a decade. He earned the nickname “Martin van Ruin”.
• What you may not know about Van Buren: Van Buren’s family was Dutch and he was the first President not to have English as a native language (he spoke Dutch). He was, however, the first President to be born a United States citizen.

Between Russia and the United States sentiments of good will continue to be mutually cherished. -Martin van Buren

9 William Henry Harrison (1841-1841)

• Full name: William Henry Harrison
• Born: February 9, 1773
• Died: April 4, 1841
• Age at inauguration: 68
• Political party: Whig
• Known for:  He earned the nickname “Tippecanoe” for heroically leading the U.S. forces against American Indians in the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Harrison was also holds the shortest presidency in US history, as he died of natural causes on his 32nd day in office.
• What you may not know about Harrison: Although his actual presidency was the shortest in history, his inauguration speech took nearly two hours, after down-sized editing of the original speech, making it the longest ever.

All the measures of the Government are directed to the purpose of making the rich richer and the poor poorer. -William Henry Harrison

10 John Tyler (1841-1845)

• Full name: John Tyler
• Born: March 29, 1790
• Died: January 18, 1862
• Age at inauguration: 51
• Political party: Whig / later independent
• Known for: Nicknamed “His Accidency” as he set the precedent for a Vice-President to take office after a sudden death of the President. Although this was initially opposed and questioned, he was eventually declared 10th President of the United States.
• What you may not know about Tyler: Tyler came to office as a member of the Whig party, but while in office (which was already frowned-upon) he vetoed several of the Whig party’s propositions, causing most members to resign and the remainder to kick Tyler out. Tyler then became the only sitting President not to belong to any political party.

Let it be henceforth proclaimed to the world that man’s conscience was created free; that he is no longer accountable to his fellow man for his religious opinions, being responsible therefore only to his God. -John Tyler

11 James K. Polk (1845-1849)

• Full name: James Knox Polk
• Born: November 2, 1795
• Died: June 15, 1849
• Age at inauguration: 53
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Called the “least known consequential president”, Polk is applauded for having set an agenda and achieved all of it.
• What you may not know about Polk: He made the United States a coast-to-coast nation, by acquiring both Texas and New Mexico from Mexico

The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government. -James K. Polk

12 Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)

• Full name: Zachary Taylor
• Born: November 24, 1784
• Died: July 9, 1850
• Age at inauguration: 64
• Political party: Whig
• Known for: As a president, Taylor didn’t get much work done. Not only because he died in office, but also because he seemed to have more feeling for battle than for politics. Luckily he became a national hero as a military leader during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), where he won several battles at the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Monterey. This is also why he became president somehow.
• What you may not know about Taylor: Over the years many people believed that Taylor was assassinated, instead of dying of natural causes. Even in 1991 his body was exhumed and examined. No poison or proof of foul-play was found.

I have always done my duty. I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me. -Zachary Taylor

13 Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)

• Full name: Millard Fillmore
• Born: January 7, 1800
• Died: March 8, 1874
• Age at inauguration: 50
• Political party: Whig
• Known for: He assembled an entirely new cabinet, because the entire cabinet resigned after Taylor’s sudden death and Fillmore took office. His biggest political “contribution”, mostly by help of his newly appointed cabinet, was the “Compromise”, meaning the state of Texas was allowed to keep slavery legal and other “new” states to vote for this right. This did not make the northern politicians happy.
• What you may not know about Fillmore: Fillmore was also known as the first president not to have great personal fortune through inheritance, marriage or otherwise. He was always a man of modest wealth and public service

May God save the country, for it is evident that the people will not. -Millard Fillmore

14 Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)

• Full name: Franklin Pierce
• Born: November 23, 1804
• Died: October 8, 1869
• Age at inauguration: 48
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Pierce assembled a very diverse cabinet, which -much against everyone’s prediction- remained intact during his entire four-year presidency term. As of today this is the only cabinet to achieve this. He only had a Vice President for just over one month, VP William R. King died about six weeks after Pierce’s inauguration.
• What you may not know about Pierce: Although Pierce was quite a popular fellow with many friends, in his personal life he suffered some great tragedy as all of his children died young. Unfortunately his friendships could not prevent Pierce from being labeled as one of the worst US Presidents in history.

If your past is limited, your future is boundless. -Franklin Pierce

15 James Buchanan (1857-1861)

• Full name: James Buchanan, Jr.
• Born: April 23, 1791
• Died: June 1, 1868
• Age at inauguration: 65
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Many historians put Buchanan at the top of the their list. Unfortunately that list is of worst US Presidents.
• What you may not know about Buchanan: He’s accused of meddling with the “Dred Scott Case” which was decided in favor of slave states which could no longer be denied pro-slavery laws by the government.

The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there. -James Buchanan

16 Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

• Full name: Abraham Lincoln
• Born: February 12, 1809
• Died: April 15, 1865
• Age at inauguration: 52
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: One of the most famous assassination victim in history, killed in the beginning of his second term. After taking over from Buchanan, considered one of the worst, if not the worst president, Lincoln is consistently mentioned as the best president or at least listed in the top 3. He is most known for his active struggle against slavery and preserving the Union through the American Civil War.
• What you may not know about Lincoln: In 1842 Lincoln was challenged to a duel by James Shields for putting him to shame in a series of letters. He accepted, but demanded it took place on Bloody Island, fighting with broadswords at the bottom of a pit. Lincoln’s huge appearance and his ability to handle a broadsword made Shields back down and simply asked for a regular apology.

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. -Abraham Lincoln

17 Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)

• Full name: Andrew Johnson
• Born: December 29, 1808
• Died: July 31, 1875
• Age at inauguration: 57
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Another president that lingers on the bottom of the pile when it comes to favorite US Presidents. He was very disliked in Congress and was also the first president to suffer impeachment, only saved by a single vote from being convicted and losing his presidency.
• What you may not know about Johnson: At the inauguration of Lincoln second term as of Johnson’s Vice Presidency (March 4, 1864), Johnson drank so much that he embarrassed everyone and himself during his speech.

Slavery exists. It is black in the South, and white in the North. -Andrew Johnson

18 Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)

• Full name: Hiram Ulysses Grant (mistakenly put on record at West Point Military Academy as Ulysses S. Grant)
• Born: April 27, 1822
• Died: July 23, 1885
• Age at inauguration: 46
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Major successes as a commander in the Civil War. Defeated the Confederate Army under his presidency. Grant also fought for African American citizenship and to defeat the Ku Klux Klan. Despite his popularity and successes, Grant was to be believed to run the most corrupt administration in American history. His reputation only improved after 1990 and as late as 2001 and even 2012 when historians and biographers stood up in Grant’s favor.
• What you may not know about Grant: It is often said that Grant was a softie. For one he was so scared of blood, that he even refused to eat meat that wasn’t well-done or near-charred. He also reportedly sat in his room sobbing like a maniac on his wedding day, scared of what may come. This comes as a big contrast to his former day-job in the American Civil War. After his presidency, Grant went completely bankrupt and financially ruined after investing in his son’s Wall Street escapade called Grant & Ward, basically one of the first actual “Ponzi Schemes”, although Charles Ponzi was only about 1 year old at that time.

I have never advocated war except as a means of peace. -Ulysses S. Grant

19 Rutherford B. Hayes (1877-1881)

• Full name: Rutherford Birchard Hayes
• Born: October 4, 1822
• Died: January 17, 1893
• Age at inauguration: 54
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Hayes became president after the most confusing and criticized elections of the time. Many democrats believed that Hayes’ opponent Samuel J. Tilden had been cheated. The only way for them to acknowledge Hayes’ presidency was through the Compromise of 1877 which included a number of Democrat terms that were agreed upon by President Hayes’ administration.
• What you may not know about Hayes: Hayes signed the “Act to Relieve Certain Legal Disabilities of Women” in 1879 which gave women the right to argue cases in federal court.

Conscience is the authentic voice of God to you. -Rutherford B. Hayes

20 James A. Garfield (1881-1881)

• Full name: James Abram Garfield
• Born: November 19, 1831
• Died: September 19, 1881
• Age at inauguration: 50
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau on July 2, 1881 and died of complications of his wounds 200 days after his inauguration on September 19th, 1881.
• What you may not know about Garfield: During his short term Garfield made a fair number of accomplishments, among which the appointment of several African-Americans to prominent federal positions and he improved civil rights for African-Americans.

He who controls the money supply of a nation controls the nation. -James A. Garfield

21 Chester A. Arthur (1881-1885)

• Full name: Chester Alan Arthur
• Born: October 5, 1829
• Died: November 18, 1886
• Age at inauguration: 51
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: He succeeded James A. Garfield upon his assassination. Arthur’s greatest achievement was the civil service reform, signed in the “Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act” which stipulated that prominent government positions should be awarded on merit, instead of having the right friends (spoils system).
• What you may not know about Arthur: Arthur’s success in the civil service reform was something that most if not all preceding presidents had promised, but never accomplished. This was very much against general expectations, because in previous years and basically throughout his political career up to that point Arthur was usually involved in scandal and corruption situations. He actually was an honest president.

I may be President of the United States, but my private life is nobody’s damn business. -Chester A. Arthur

22 Grover Cleveland (1885-1889)

• Full name: Stephen Grover Cleveland
• Born: March 18, 1837
• Died: June 24, 1908
• Age at first inauguration: 47
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Cleveland temporarily broke the chain of Republican dominance of the political spectrum that ran from 1861 to 1913.
• What you may not know about Cleveland: Although Cleveland was celebrated for his high moral standards, it came to light that he had an illegitimate child in Buffalo, NY. This caused quite an outrage, but he was celebrated even more after he  told the truth and admitted this scandal. He never claimed paternity to his son Oscar Folsom Cleveland, but paid child support for many years.

The United States is not a nation to which peace is a necessity. – Grover Cleveland

23 Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

• Full name: Benjamin Harrison
• Born: August 20, 1833
• Died: March 13, 1901
• Age at inauguration: 51
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: He oversaw the admittance of six additional States to the Union and put the Mckinley Tariff (or Tariff Act of 1890) into effect which increased import duties to nearly 50%, essentially destroying foreign competition (thus protecting domestic industry). Harrison’s administration also signed the Sherman Antitrust Act, which today still is the basis for anti-cartel and anti-monopoly litigation.
• What you may not know about Harrison: He was the first president to get federal spending over one billion dollars per year. This was due to a budget surplus after the Civil War was over and the fact that Harrison kept the tariffs high made him a big target for critics.

We Americans have no commission from God to police the world. -Benjamin Harrison

24 Grover Cleveland (1893-1897)

• Full name: Stephen Grover Cleveland
• Born: March 18, 1837
• Died: June 24, 1908
• Age at second, non-consecutive inauguration: 55
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Again temporarily breaking the chain of Republican political dominance. During his second term, however, the Panic of 1893 occured, putting the nation in severe depression. Cleveland was not able to fix this.
• What you may not know about Cleveland: During his two non-consecutive terms, but mostly in his first term, Cleveland vetoed more bills than all preceding presidents combined. His total number of vetoes reached 584 by the end of his second term. Until today 2564 bills have been vetoed by all presidents combined.

Officeholders are the agents of the people, not their masters. -Grover Cleveland

25 William McKinley (1897-1901)

• Full name: William McKinley
• Born: January 29, 1843
• Died: September 14, 1901
• Age at inauguration: 54
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: McKinley was assassinated six months into his second presidency term. He achieved victory in the Spanish-American war.
• What you may not know about McKinley: He always wore a lucky charm in the form of a red flower pinned to his suit. At one point he took it off and gave it to a girl in a crowd. A few seconds later he was shot and killed by anarchist Leon Frank Czolgosz.

Cuba ought to be free and independent, and the government should be turned over to the Cuban people. -William McKinley

26 Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

• Full name: Theodore “T.R.” Roosevelt, Jr.
• Born: October 27, 1858
• Died: January 6, 1919
• Age at inauguration: 56
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt with great luck. The bullet he was shot with “only” lodged in his chest because its velocity was much decreased after first going through his steel eyeglass case and a 50-page speech. His face is one of five presidents shown on Mount Rushmore, regularly considered in the top 5 of all-time best US Presidents
• What you may not know about Roosevelt: After being shot and with the bullet still lodged in his chest, Roosevelt still held his 90-minute speech. He said: “I give you my word, I do not care a rap about being shot, not a rap.”

No man is above the law and no man is below it: nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it. -Theodore Roosevelt

27 William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

• Full name: William Howard Taft
• Born: September 15, 1857
• Died: March 8, 1930
• Age at inauguration: 51
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: The only person to have served as President and later as 10th Chief Justice of the United States. He also saw the 16th Amendment come into effect, which made it possible for the congress to levy income tax and spend it however it sees fit, instead of having to distribute it among the states.
• What you may not know about Taft: Taft was the largest President ever in office. He required a special bathtub in the White House, as he got stuck in the regular tub.

Don’t write so that you can be understood, write so that you can’t be misunderstood. -William Howard Taft

28 Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

• Full name: Thomas Woodrow Wilson
• Born: December 28, 1856
• Died: February 3, 1924
• Age at inauguration: 42
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: His involvement in World War I and the peace treaty negotiations on France. Wilson actually campaigned for a second run in office with the slogan “He kept us out of war”, but during his second term the US neutrality was blown up together with German submarine attacks on US ships in the North Atlantic.
• What you may not know about Wilson: Wilson only learned to read when he was 10 years old. He fully made up for that as academic and university president and made a fine career for himself.

Liberty has never come from Government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of it. The history of liberty is a history of limitations of governmental power, not the increase of it. -Woodrow Wilson

29 Warren G. Harding (1921-1923)

• Full name: Warren Gamaliel Harding
• Born: November 2, 1865
• Died: August 2, 1923
• Age at inauguration: 43
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Harding fought for African-American rights and had great responsibility for fiscal success, but his administration was covered in so many scandals that his presidency is considered at the lower ranks. Two years into his presidency term, in August 1923, he suddenly died in office of natural causes.
• What you may not know about Harding: There are a lot of rumors and allegations surrounding Harding, including extramarital affairs with four women, so-called bacchanalian orgies, ties with the Ku Klux Klan, but none if it is firmly proven and some historians highly doubt the allegations.

America’s present need is not heroics but healing; not nostrums but normalcy; not revolution but restoration.– Warren G. Harding

30 Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

• Full name: John Calvin Coolidge, Jr.
• Born: July 4, 1872
• Died: January 5, 1933
• Age at inauguration: 48
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Coolidge was a no-nonsense president. He basically didn’t say much, accept when he had to speak in public. There’s actually not much to say about him, except that by running an efficient office he restored public confidence in the White House, especially after the many scandals of his predecessor. He was a popular president, mostly because of his ability to express the opinions of the average Joe.
• What you may not know about Coolidge: Coolidge was the first to answer radio broadcasting industry’s years of lobbying for federal regulation of broadcasting. This essentially meant that the commercial broadcasting channels got that own, non-overlapping frequencies. In 1927 Coolidge signed the Radio Act, which declared airwaves as public property and should be regulated under federal control. These changes paved the way for the modern broadcasting regulation in the US.

Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. -Calvin Coolidge

31 Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

• Full name: Herbert Clark Hoover
• Born: August 10, 1874
• Died: October 20, 1964
• Age at inauguration: 54
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Although Hoover was determined and very outspoken to solve US poverty issues, his administration experienced the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the subsequent beginning of the Great Depression.
• What you may not know about Hoover: He was the first to get a telephone in his office.

Blessed are the young for they shall inherit the national debt. -Herbert Hoover

32 Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

• Full name: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (a.k.a “FDR”)
• Born: January 30, 1882
• Died: April 12, 1945
• Age at inauguration: 51
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: The only president to serve more than two presidential terms, 12 years or four terms to be exact. He is praised for his involvement in World War II and his close cooperation with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin to lead the allies against the Nazis. Ironically, after 12 years in office during some of the wildest crises and just one month before the end of the war, Roosevelt unexpectedly (to the public) died of a stroke in April 1945.
• What you may not know about “FDR” Roosevelt: FDR appointed more women on to federal jobs than any other president. This is mostly encouraged by his wife and First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt.

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. -Franklin D. Roosevelt

33 Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

• Full name: Harry S. Truman. Although the middle initial “S” didn’t stand for anything in particular, it pleased both of his grandfathers, Shipp and Solomon.
• Born: May 8, 1884
• Died: December 26, 1972
• Age at inauguration: 60
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: During his presidency, the Cold War began which led Truman to sign the National Security Act of 1947, reorganizing the military forces and creating the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) and NSC (National Security Council). Truman also oversaw the creation of NATO in 1949.
• What you may not know about Truman: He was the first president to formally address the people via television.

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. -Harry S. Truman

34 Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)

• Full name: Dwight David “Ike” Eisenhower
• Born: October 14, 1890
• Died: March 28, 1969
• Age at inauguration: 62
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Before Eisenhower’s presidency, he was first Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, leading Operation Overlord and later he became NATO Supreme Commander from 1950 to 1953. He also introduced the Domino Theory which was included in his descriptions of the dangers and spreading of communism.
• What you may not know about Eisenhower: He was strictly against use of the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Not only because it would damage the international public opinion about the US, but also because he thought that Japan was almost about to surrender anyway.

In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. -Dwight D. Eisenhower

35 John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

• Full name: John Fitzgerald Kennedy (a.k.a. “JFK”)
• Born: May 29, 1917
• Died: November 22, 1963
• Age at inauguration: 43
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Kennedy is the only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize. He was also known for launching the Apollo Project, which eventually lead to the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 and the end of the “Space Race”. JFK’s administration launched the embarrassing “Bay of Pigs” mission during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas by Lee Harvey Oswald.
• What you may not know about “JFK” Kennedy: He was the richest president ever, with his family fortune estimated at $1 billion. Kennedy was also the first president to get a Purple Heart (for his injuries obtained in the line of battle during World War II). By the way, the now-famous footage of his assassination in the black limo was released to the public no less than 12 years after the actual event.

Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names. -John F. Kennedy

36 Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)

• Full name: Lyndon Baines Johnson
• Born: August 27, 1908
• Died: January 22, 1973
• Age at inauguration: 54
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Johnson increased the US involvement in the Vietnam War. in 1963 there were 16,000 advisors slash soldiers in Vietnam, but by 1968 there were 550,000 combat troops. This triggered the antiwar movement that followed in demonstrations, riots and general soaring of crime rates. Johnson eventually gave up on trying to get reelected for a second term.
• What you may not know about Johnson: Johnson called his johnson “Jumbo” and it is said that he was so proud of it that he reportedly was quite fond of unzipping and displaying his giant member. Also, energetic and with a big ego, Johnson was sure to become the best US President of all time. He didn’t.

Being president is like being a jackass in a hailstorm. There’s nothing to do but to stand there and take it. -Lyndon B. Johnson

37 Richard Nixon (1969-1974)

• Full name: Richard Milhous Nixon
• Born: January 9, 1913
• Died: April 22, 1994
• Age at inauguration: 56
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: He further escalated involvement in Vietnam, but eventually gave up and ended direct US military involvement in 1973. He set up diplomatic relationships with the Republic of China and he declared the War on Drugs. Nixon is the only president to date to have resigned from office, as a result of the Watergate Scandal and his administration’s attempts to cover it up.
• What you may not know about Nixon: Nixon played five musical instruments (piano, violin, clarinet, saxophone and accordion), but never learned to read music.

When the President does it, that means that it’s not illegal. -Richard Nixon

38 Gerald Ford (1974-1977)

• Full name: Gerald Rudolph “Jerry” Ford, Jr.
• Born: July 14, 1913
• Died: December 26, 2006
• Age at inauguration: 60
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Ford signed the Helsinki Accords, which somewhat decreased the Cold War stress between the communist bloc and the West. He’s mainly criticized for his presidential-pardon to Richard Nixon and his involvement in the Watergate Scandal. In 1975 Ford survived two assassination-attempts, both performed by women.
• What you may not know about Ford: Ford was born Leslie Lynch King, Jr., but after being adopted (never formally) his name was changed. In his late 20′s, Ford worked as a model and was featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine in 1942.

Tell the truth, work hard, and come to dinner on time. -Gerald Ford

39 Jimmy Carter (1977-1981)

• Full name: James Earl “Jimmy” Carter, Jr.
• Born: October 1, 1924
• Age at inauguration: 52
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: He was sadly involved in many crises, such as the 1979–1981 Iran hostage crisis (go see Argo, or better yet: “Banged Up Abroad: The Real Argo”), the 1979 energy crisis and the Three Mile Island nuclear accident. His popularity never reached very high and these events only made it worse. However, today Carter still fights for human rights and through his Carter Center he and his wife Rosalynn travel the world to do good.
• What you may not know about Carter: In 1973 Carter filed a report on a UFO sighting. He later said he does not remember why he filed it, especially because he believed it to be an experimental military aircraft from a nearby base.

War may sometimes be a necessary evil. But no matter how necessary, it is always an evil, never a good. We will not learn how to live together in peace by killing each other’s children. -Jimmy Carter

40 Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

• Full name: Ronald Wilson Reagan
• Born: February 6, 1911
• Died: June 5, 2004
• Age at inauguration: 70
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Reagan signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987, eliminating certain nuclear and conventional missiles. Two years later, in 1989, the Cold War was officially over.
• What you may not know about Reagan: After a traumatizing flight in 1937 Reagan was so afraid of flying that he didn’t step in an airplane for 30 years and had to turn down invitations if he did not have enough time to travel by car or train. Of course he was also a Hollywood movie star, but during his Hollywood days in the 1940s he also acted as FBI-informant to point out communist-sympathizers.

We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone. -Ronald Reagan

41 George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)

• Full name: George Herbert Walker Bush
• Born: June 12, 1924
• Age at inauguration: 64
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: As president he condemned the Iraq invasion into Iran right from the start of the Gulf War and together with Allied forces launched Operation Desert Storm on January 17, 1991. He denied any knowledge of the Reagan administration’s “Iran-Contra Affair” when it got uncovered, but this statement was later questioned.
• What you may not know about H.W. Bush: As a torpedo bomber pilot in September 1944 Bush’ aircraft was shot down over Japan and crashed into the Pacific, he survived. From January 1976 to January 1977 Bush was Director of Central Intelligence (DCI, or better known as CIA director).

It’s much worse to read criticism about your son than yourself. -George H. W. Bush

42 Bill Clinton (1993-2001)

• Full name: William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III)
• Born: August 19, 1946
• Age at inauguration: 46
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Clinton’s presidency is known as the longest period of peacetime and economic growth in American History. His post-presidency period to date is a day-to-day devotion to many causes, such as fighting AIDS, child obesity and global warming. In 2005 he established the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) which regularly brings together heads of state to discuss and help solve pressing global issues. Oh and let’s not forget about the “Lewinski Scandal”
• What you may not know about Clinton: In 2011 media organization NPR challenged Clinton to answer questions in their My Little Pony quiz. He answered them correctly. Read and listen here.

When our memories outweigh our dreams, it is then that we become old. -Bill Clinton

43 George W. Bush (2001-2009)

• Full name: George Walker Bush
• Born: July 6, 1946
• Age at inauguration: 44
• Political party: Republican
• Known for: Bush announced the War on Terror, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred only eight months into his first term. This not only resulted in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but also changes and increases in national security regulation such as the “PATRIOT Act”.
• What you may not know about W. Bush: Bush is an avid reader and is very interested in historical nonfiction. It is said that he read 14 Lincoln biographies and 186 books during the last three years of his presidency.

When I take action, I’m not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It’s going to be decisive. -George W. Bush

44 Barack Obama (2009-present)

• Full name: Barack Hussein Obama II
• Born: August 4, 1961
• Age at inauguration: 47
• Political party: Democratic
• Known for: Obama is the first African American to become President of the United States. He ended the U.S. military involvement in Iraq in 2009 and all US troops were withdrawn by December 2011. He’s known for his active struggle against the Great Recession and attempts to improve the economy. “Obamacare” (formally PPACA or Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) is Obama’s overhaul of the nation’s healthcare system with aim to improve quality and affordability of health insurance. Currently he’s under fire for the NSA’s Prism surveillance program, illegally brought to light by Edward Snowden.
• What you may not know about Obama: Obama collects Spider-Man and Conan The Barbarian comics and has read every Harry Potter book. For good luck he wears a bracelet that belonged to a soldier deployed in Iraq.

If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress. -Barack Obama