THE PRESIDENTS
#1: George Washington
Served: 1789-1797, Federalist Period
Achievements: Held country together. Ended
multiple revolutions.
Rank: 1st/42
V.P.:
John Adams
Nicknames:
The American Cincinnatus
The American Fabius
The Father of His Country
Background Info on Washington
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Gilbert Stuart Portrait of George
Washington in 1795, 4 years before
his death.
Born: Feb. 22, 1732 in Virginia
Died: Dec. 14, 1799 (aged 67) in
Virginia
Religion: Church of England
6 feet, 2inches tall and weighed
200 pounds
At the time of his inauguration,
George Washington had only one
tooth. All his teeth were pulled by
the time he was the President. At
many times he wore dentures. His
inauguration speech was 183
words long. Due to his false teeth
he took 90 minutes to read it.
#2: John Adams (Fed)
Served: 1797-1801, Federalist Period
Achievements: Signer of Declaration of
Independence. Oversaw construction of
White House
Rank: 7th / 42
V.P.: Thomas Jefferson
Nickname:
The Colossus of Debate
The Duke of Braintree
King John the Second
Old Sink or Swim
His Rotundity
Background Info on Adams
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Portrait of John Adams by Gilbert Stuart in 1826. 5.
This would be John Adam's final portrait. He was
reluctant to do the painting but did so at the urge of
John Quincy Adams. He said he enjoyed the
conversation that artist Gilbert Stuart provided him
Born: Oct. 30, 1735 in
Quincy, Massachusetts
Died: July 4, 1826 (aged 90)
in Quincy
Religion: Unitarian
Great-great-grandson of
John and Priscilla Alden,
pilgrims who landed at
Plymouth Rock in 1620
U.S. capital moved from
Philadelphia to Washington,
D.C.
#3: Thomas Jefferson (DR)
Served: 1801-1809, The Age of Jefferson
Achievements: Author of Declaration of Independence.
Louisiana Purchase. Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Rank: 3rd / 42
V.P.: Aaron Burr (1801–1805),
George Clinton (1805–1809)
Nicknames:
The Apostle of Democracy
The Man of the People
Mad Tom
The Negro President
The Sage of Monticello
Background Info on Jefferson
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Gilbert Stuart’s 1821 portrait of Thomas
Jefferson
Born: April 13,1743 in
Shadwell, Virginia
Died: July 4, 1826 (aged 83)
in Charlottesville, Virginia
Religion: Deist
Died on 50th anniversary of
D.o.I., July 4, 1826 the same
day as John Adams
Designed his own tombstone
and wrote his own epitaph,
omitting the fact that he was
President of the United States
More on Jefferson
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Secret affair with his slave,
Sally Hemings
Credited with introducing
vanilla ice cream and
macaroni and cheese to US
diet
Tasked Lewis and Clark with
finding Wholly Mammoth in
the west
Petrified of public speaking,
gave only two speeches as
president
#4: James Madison (DR)
Served: 1809-1817
Achievements: “Father of Constitution”, War
of 1812.
Rank: 8th / 42
V.P.: George Clinton
Elbridge Gerry
Nicknames:
Little Jemmy
His Little Majesty: At only 5' 4", the was
the shortest president ever.
Background Info on Madison
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Born: March 16, 1751
Port Conway, Virginia
Died: June 28, 1836
(aged 85) Montpelier,
Virginia
Religion: “unknown”
First president to had prior
service as a congressman.
First president to wear
trousers rather than knee
breeches.
First graduate student of
Princeton
#5: James Monroe (DR)
Served: 1817-1825, Era of Good Feelings
Achievements: Annexed Florida, Signed Missouri
Compromise, Created Monroe Doctrine.
Rank: 21st / 42
V.P.: Daniel D. Tompkins
Nickname:
The Era of Good Feelings President
Background Info on Monroe
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Born: April 28, 1758
Westmoreland County, VA
Died: July 4, 1831 (aged 73)
New York, NY
Religion: Episcopal
First president to ride on a
steamboat.
First U.S. Senator to become
president.
First inaugural to be held
outdoors.
Capital of Liberia named
after him (Monrovia)
#6: John Q. Adams (DR)
Served: 1825-1829, Era of Good Feelings
Achievements: 18 year Member of Congress, Nicnamed “Old Eloquent”, Defended Amistad rebels
Rank: 14th / 42
V.P.: John C. Calhoun
Nicknames:
Old Man Eloquent
The Abolitionist
Background Info on J.Q. Adams
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Born: July 11, 1767 Quincy, Massachusetts
Died: February 23, 1848 (aged 80) Washington,
D.C.
Religion: Unitarianism
Adams swam nude in the Potomac River nearly
every day.
First elected president not to receive either the most
electoral college votes or popular votes.
Only president elected to the House after his
presidency.
He named one of his sons George Washington.
approved an expedition to the interior of the Earth
where, he hoped, the surface dwellers could
initiate trade with the mole people
#7: Andrew Jackson (Dem)
Served: 1829-1837, The Age of Jackson
Achievements: “Old Hickory”, Founder of
Democratic Party, Extend power of Federal
Branch. Indian Removal Act
Rank: 12th / 42
VP: Martin Van Buren
Nicknames:
The Hero of New Orleans
King Andrew
Old Hickory
Sharp Knife (Given to him by the Creek
Indians whom he fought in 1814 )
Background Info on Jackson
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Born: March 15, 1767 Waxhaws Area
Died: June 8, 1845 (aged 78)
Nashville, Tennessee
Religion: Presbyterian
No formal education.
Taught parrot to curse, which had to
be removed from Jackson's funeral
because it wouldn't stop swearing.
Only president to have been a
prisoner of war.
He was the first president to have
been born in a log cabin.
First president to ride a railroad train.
Wounded in a duel at the age of 39,
Jackson carried the bullet, lodged near
his heart, to his grave.
#8 Martin Van Buren (Dem)
Served: 1837-1841, Westward Expansion
Achievements: Helped form first “political machine”,
Ran for office 3 times.
Rank: 38th / 42
V.P.: Richard M. Johnson
Nicknames:
The American Talleyrand
The Careful Dutchman (his first language was Dutch)
The Great Manager
The Little Magician
The Red Fox of Kinderhook
Background Info Van Buren
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Born: December 5, 1782
Kinderhook, New York
Died: July 24, 1862
(aged 79)
Kinderhook, New York
Religion: Dutch Reformed
First president born in the
United States
He took his four years
salary, $100,000, in a lump
sum at the end of his term.
He made three unsuccessful
bids for reelection.
#9 William H. Harrison (Whig)
Served: 1841, Westward Expansion (Manifest Destiny)
Achievements: President for one month!, First
president to die in office.
Rank: 39th / 42
V.P.: John Tyler
Nicknames:
General Mum
Old Tippecanoe: (used in campaign song
Tippecanoe and Tyler Too during 1840
election.)
Washington of the West
Background Info on Harrison
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Born: February 9, 1773
Charles City County,
Virginia
Died: April 4, 1841
(aged 68)
Washington, D.C.
Religion: Episcopal
Harrison gave the longest
inaugural address - one
hour 45 minutes.
First president to die in
office.
Served for 30 days.
#10 John Tyler (Whig)
Served: 1841-1845, Westward Expansion
Achievements: Served without a Party. First
VP to take office. Severs ties with Whigs, Set
up trade relations with China.
Rank: 42nd / 42
V.P.: None
Nickname:
His Accidency
Background Info on Tyler
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Born: March 29, 1790 Charles
City County, Virginia
Died: January 18, 1862
(aged 71)
Richmond, Virginia
Religion: Episcopal
Whig party disowned him after
he vetoed banking bills
supported by the Whigs.
In January 1843, the Whigs
introduced impeachment
resolutions in the House, but the
measures were defeated.
He was a grand-uncle of Harry
S Truman.
Aspired to be a concert violinist.
#11: James Polk (Dem)
Served: 1845-1849, War of the West
Achievements: War with Mexico. Gained
California and Southwest. Settled Canadian
border
Rank: 36th / 42
V.P: George M. Dallas
Nicknames:
Napoleon of the Stump
Polk the Plodder
Young Hickory
Polk the Purposeful
Background Info on Polk
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Born: November 2, 1795
Pineville, North Carolina
Died: June 15, 1849 (aged 53)
Nashville, Tennessee
Religion: Methodist
Before the advent of
anesthetics and antiseptic
practices, Polk survived a
gallstone operation at age 17.
Greatly expanded the western
U.S. in 1848 through a treaty
with Mexico ending a two
year war
Voluntarily served only one
term
#12: Zachary Taylor (Whig)
Served: 1849-1850, Westward Expansion
Achievements: “Old Rough and Ready”, Never
voted until own election, Died 16 months after
election.
Rank: 37th / 42
V.P.: Millard Fillmore
Nickname:
Old Rough and Ready
Background Info on Taylor
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Born: November 24, 1784
Barboursville, Virginia
Died: July 9, 1850
(aged 65)
Washington, D.C.
Religion: Episcopal
Had never voted or
belonged to a political
party nor took any interest
in politics until he ran for
president at age 62.
He pastured his old Army
horse, Whitey, on the
White House lawn and
visitors would take horse
hairs as souvenirs.
#13 Millard Fillmore (Whig)
Served: 1850-1853, Antebellum
Achievements: Opened trade with Japan.
Great Compromise of 1850. Last Whig
President
Quote: "An honorable defeat is better than a
dishonorable victory."
Rank: 41st / 42
Nickname:
The American Louis Philippe
Background Info on Fillmore
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Born: January 7, 1800
Summerhill, New York
Died: March 8, 1874 (aged 74) Buffalo,
NY
Religion: Unitarian
No formal education.
Fillmore did not meet Pres. Taylor until
after they were elected.
He installed the first bathtub and
kitchen stove in the White House.
Millard Fillmore's first wife Abigail
was actually his teacher while he was
a 19-year-old student at the New Hope
Academy
#14 Franklin Pierce (D)
Served: 1853-1857, Antebellum
Achievements: Gadsden Purchase. Passed KansasNebraska Act
Quote: "You have summoned me in my
weakness. You must sustain me by your
strength."
Rank: 40th / 42
Nickname:
The Fainting General
Young Hickory of the Granite Hills
Handsome Frank
Background Info on Pierce
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Born: November 23, 1804
Hillsborough, New Hampshire
Died: October 8, 1869 (aged 64)
Concord, New Hampshire
Religion: Episcopal
Because of religious considerations
Pierce affirmed rather than swore the
Presidential Oath of Office.
He gave his inaugural address from
memory, without the aid of notes.
He installed the first central heating
system in the White House.
#15 James Buchanan (D)
Served: 1857-1861, Antebellum
Achievements: 40 yr Congressman, Dems split into
North and South, considered one of worse
presidents
Quote:” The test of leadership is not to put greatness
into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is
already there.”
Rank: 35th / 42
Nickname:
Ten-Cent Jimmie (claimed during the 1856 election
campaign that ten cents a day was enough for a working
man to live on)
Background Info on Buchanan
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Born: April 23, 1791 Mercersburg,
Pennsylvania
Died: June 1, 1868 (aged 77)
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Religion: Presbyterian
He was never married, so the
duties of White House hostess
were performed by his niece,
Harriet Lane.
One of his eyes was nearsighted
and the other farsighted. As a
result he always cocked his head
to the left.
Buchanan tired of being president
and refused to run for reelection.
#16 Abraham Lincoln
Served: 1861-1865, American Civil War
Achievements: Endured Civil War. Emancipation
Proclamation.
Quote: “Always bear in mind that your own
resolution to succeed is more important than any
other.”
“America will never be destroyed from the
outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will
be because we destroyed ourselves.”
Rank: 2nd / 42
Nicknames:
The Ancient One
The Great Emancipator
Honest Abe
The Rail-Splitter
Uncle Abe
Background Info on Lincoln
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Born: February 12, 1809
Hardin County, Kentucky
Died: April 15, 1865 (aged 56)
Washington, D.C.
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Religion: Never committed to one
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No formal education.
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The first president to die by assassination.
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At 6 feet 4 inches he was the tallest president.
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Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd, had a brother, half-brothers and
brothers-in-law who fought in the Confederate Army.
He was the first president to wear a beard.
His son Robert Todd Lincoln, was in Washington, D.C. when
Lincoln was killed, was also on the scene when President Garfield
was shot in 1881, and President McKinley was assassinated in
1901
When Abe Lincoln moved to New Salem, Illinois in 1831, he ran
into a local bully named Jack Armstrong. Armstrong challenged
Lincoln to a wrestling match outside of Denton Offutt's store,
where Lincoln was a clerk, and townspeople gathered to watch
and wager on it. Lincoln won.
# 17: Andrew Johnson (Dem)
Served: 1865-1869, Reconstruction
Achievements: Reconstruction Era. Impeached.
Quote: “If I am shot at, I want no man to be in the
way of the bullet.”
Rank: 24th / 42
Nickname:
The Tennessee Tailor
Background Info on Johnson
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Born: December 29, 1808
Raleigh, North Carolina
Died: July 31, 1875 (aged 66)
Elizabethton, Tennessee
Religion: Christian: No denomination
Johnson was married at a younger age
than any other president. He was 18 on
May 5, 1827 and Eliza McCardle was
16.
He is the only president to serve in the
Senate after his presidency.
He was host to the first Queen to first
the White house. Queen Emma of
Hawaii.
He was buried beneath a willow tree
he planted himself with a shoot taken
from a tree at Napoleon's tomb
#18 (R)Ulysses S. Grant
Served: 1869-1877, Reconstruction
Achievements: War Hero.
Quote: “Leave the matter of religion to the family
altar, the church, and the private school,
supported entirely by private contributions.
Keep the church and state forever separate.”
Rank: 15th / 42
Nicknames:
Sam
Unconditional Surrender Grant
Background Info on Grant
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Born: April 27, 1822
Point Pleasant, Ohio
Died: July 23, 1885 (aged 63)
Mount McGregor, New York
Religion: Methodist
Grant could not stomach the sight
of animal blood. Rare steak
nauseated him.
While president, he was arrested
for driving his horse too fast and
was fined $ 20.
Grant said he knew only two
songs. "One was Yankee Doodle
and the other wasn't."
He smoked 20 cigars a day, which
probably caused the throat cancer
that resulted in his death.
#19 (R)Rutherford B. Hayes
Served: 1877-1881, Gilded Age
Achievements: Ended Reconstruction.
Quote: “One of the tests of the civilization of people
is the treatment of its criminals.”
Rank: 31st / 42
Nicknames:
Granny Hayes
Queen Victoria in Riding Breeches
President De Facto, His Fraudulency, Rutherfraud
Hayes, Boss Thief, The Great Usurper
Background Info on Hayes
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Born: October 4, 1822
Delaware, Ohio
Died: January 17, 1893 (aged 70)
Fremont, Ohio
Religion: Christian, no denomination
In 1880 Hayes arrived in San Francisco
to become the first president to visit the
West Coast.
Mrs. Hayes, Lucy Ware Webb, was
known as "Lemonade Lucy" because
she refused to serve alcohol in the White
House.
The first telephone was installed in the
White House by Alexander Graham Bell
himself.
The first Easter egg roll on the White
House lawn was conducted by Hayes
and his wife.
He kept his campaign pledge and
refused to run for a second term
#20 (R)James Garfield
Served: 1881, Gilded Age
Achievements: Assassinated in office
Quote: “The President is the last person in
the world to know what the people really
want and think.”
Rank: 26th / 42
Nickname:
Boatman Jim
Background Info on Garfield
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Born: November 19, 1831
Moreland Hills, Ohio
Died: September 19, 1881 (aged 49)
Elberon (Long Branch), New Jersey
Religion: Church of Christ
Only 131 days after taking office, on
July 12, 1881, while entering a
Washington, D.C. railroad station, he
was shot by Charles J. Guiteau
Garfield was the first left-handed
president.
He was the last of seven presidents
born in a log cabin.
After Garfield's shooting, repeated
probing for the bullet with non-sterile
instruments resulted in blood
poisoning which eventually killed
him on September 19, 1881.
#21 (R)Chester A. Arthur
Served: 1881-1885, Gilded Age
Achievements: Modernized the Navy
Quote: “Men may die, but the fabric of our free
institutions remains unshaken.”
Rank: 25th / 42
Nicknames:
Gentleman Boss
Prince Arthur
The Dude President (For his fancy living)
Walrus
Background Info on Arthur
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Born: October 5, 1829
Fairfield, Vermont
Died: November 18, 1886 (aged 57)
New York, NY
Arthur enjoyed walking at night and
seldom went to bed before 2 A.M.
He had 24 wagon loads of old
furniture and junk removed from the
White House before moving in.
A man-about-town, he entertained
lavishly and often, enjoyed going to
nightclubs.
Arthur told a temperance group that
called on him at the White House, "I
may be President of the United
States, but my private life is my own
damn business." Arthur destroyed all
of his personal papers before his
death.
#22 & 24: (D)Grover Cleveland
Served: 1885-1889 & 1893-1897, Gilded Age
Achievements: Reformed Federal Government.
Quote: “The lesson should be constantly enforced
that though the people support the Government,
Government should not support the people.”
Rank: 29th / 42
Nickname:
The Beast of Buffalo
The Hangman of Buffalo
His Obstinacy
The Elephantine Economist
Uncle Jumbo
Background Info on Cleveland
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Born: March 18, 1837
Caldwell, New Jersey
Died: June 24, 1908 (aged 71)
Princeton, New Jersey
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Religion: Presbyterian
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Dedicated the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886.
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Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
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While Sheriff of Erie County, New York, Cleveland was the public
executioner and personally hanged two murderers.
He vetoed 414 bill in his first term, more that double the 204 vetoes
cast by all previous presidents.
The only president's child born in the White House, was Cleveland's
daughter, Esther
When Grover Cleveland's law partner Oscar Folsom died,
Cleveland became the girl's legal guardian. Frances Folsom was 11
years old at the time. Oddly enough, ten years later, they got
married at the White House. She remains the youngest First Lady in
the history of the United States, having been just 21 when they
married.
# 23 (R) Benjamin Harrison
Served: 1889-1893, Gilded Age
Achievements: Strong Foreign Policy. Enlarged Navy.
Quote: “We Americans have no commission from God to
police the world.”
Rank: 33 / 42
Nicknames:
The Front Porch Campaigner
The Human Iceberg
Kid Gloves Harrison (He was prone to skin infection
and often wore kid gloves to protect his hands)
Background Info on Harrison
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Born: August 20, 1833
North Bend, Ohio
Died: March 13, 1901 (aged 67)
Indianapolis, Indiana
Religion: Presbyterian
He was the second president whose wife
died while he was in office.
When the Harrisons moved into the White
House, it was in such a dilapidated state
that plans were made to build a new
mansion elsewhere in Washington.
His last daughter, Elizabeth, was younger
than his four grandchildren.
Credited with installing electricity into the
White House. Him and his wife refused to
use light switches, fearing death from
electrocution
#25 (R)William McKinley
Served: 1897-1901, Imperialism
Achievements: Spanish American War. Acquired
Guam, Philippines, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico.
Quote: “The free man cannot be long an ignorant
man.”
Rank: 27th / 42
Nicknames:
The Major
The Napoleon of Protection
The Advance Agent of Prosperity
The Idol of Ohio
Background Info on McKinley
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Born: January 29, 1843
Niles, Ohio
Died: September 14, 1901
(aged 58)
Buffalo, New York
Religion: Methodist
He was the first president
to use the telephone while
campaigning
He is thought to hold the
record for presidential
handshaking - 2,500 per
hour.
#26 (R) Theodore Roosevelt
Served: 1901-1909, Progressivism
Achievements: Fought Monopolies. Pushed Panama
Canal. Established National Parks and Forests.
Quote: “The government is us; we are the government,
you and I.”
Rank: 4th / 42
Nicknames:
The Cyclone Assemblyman
The Hero of San Juan Hill
The Lion
Old Four Eyes
Theodore the Meddler
The Trust Buster
Background Info on Roosevelt
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Born: October 27, 1858
New York, New York
Died: January 6, 1919 (aged 60)
Oyster Bay, New York
Religion: Dutch Reformed
He lost the sight in one eye while
boxing in the White House.
He had a photographic memory.
He could read a page in the time
it took anyone else to read a
sentence.
He was the first president to
travel outside the U.S. - Panama.
#27 (R) William H. Taft
Served: 1909 – 1913, Progressivism
Achievements: Fought Trusts. Conservationist.
Quote: “Politics makes me sick.”
Rank: 18th / 42
Nicknames:
Big Chief
Old Bill
Big Lub
Background Info on Taft
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Born: September 15, 1857
Cincinnati, Ohio
Died: March 8, 1930 (aged 72)
Washington, D.C.
Religion: Unitarian
Taft is the only person to serve
as both President and Chief
Justice (1921-1930) of the U.S.
He inaugurated the custom of
the president throwing out the
first ball to start the baseball
season.
The Taft's owned the last
presidential cow and the first
White House automobile.
#28 (D) Woodrow Wilson
Served: 1913 – 1921, Progressivism
Achievements: Reformed Banking Laws. World
War I. League of Nations.
Quote: “A conservative is someone who makes
no changes and consults his grandmother when
in doubt.”
“I would rather belong to a poor nation that
was free than to a rich nation that had ceased to
be in love with liberty.”
Rank: 19th / 42
Nicknames:
The Phrase-Maker
The Schoolmaster in Politics
Background Info on Wilson
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Born: December 28, 1856
Staunton, Virginia
Died: February 3, 1924
(aged 67) Washington, D.C.
Religion: Presbyterian
Wilson is the only president to
earn a Ph.D. degree.
His second wife, Edith, was a
great-granddaughter of
Pocahontas, seven times
removed.
An avid golfer, Wilson used
black golf balls when playing in
the snow.
#29 (R) Warren Harding
Served: 1921-1923 The Roaring 20’s
Achievements: Allowed friends control
country
Quote: “I don't know much about Americanism,
but it's a damn good word with which
to carry an election.”
Rank: 34th / 42
Nickname:
Wobbly Warren
Background Info on Harding
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Born: November 2, 1865
near Blooming Grove, Ohio
Died: August 2, 1923 (aged 57) San
Francisco, California
Religion: Baptist
He was the first newspaper publisher to be
elected president.
Both of Harding's parents were doctors.
He was the first president to own a radio.
While president, Harding played golf, poker
twice a week, followed baseball and
boxing, and sneaked off to burlesque
shows
Harding really like to gamble, although it
seems he wasn't very good at it. In one
poker game, he bet the White House china
collection and lost it all in one hand.
#30 (R) Calvin Coolidge
Served: 1923-1929
Achievements: Limited government involvement
in business
Quote: “Don't expect to build up the weak by
pulling down the strong”
Rank: 30th / 42
Nicknames:
Cautious Cal
Cool Cal
Silent Cal
The Sphinx of the Potomac
Background Info on Coolidge
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Born: July 4, 1872
Plymouth, Vermont
Died January 5, 1933 (aged 60)
Northampton, Massachusetts
Religion: Congregational church
While governor of Massachusetts, Coolidge
was once punched in the eye by the mayor
of Boston.
He was the only president sworn into
office by his father, a justice of the peace
and notary public.
Coolidge averaged nine hours of sleep a
night and took afternoon naps of two to
four hours.
His wife recounted that a young woman
sitting next to Coolidge at a dinner party
confided to him she had bet she could get
at least three words of conversation from
him. Without looking at her he quietly
retorted, "You lose."
#31 (R) Herbert Hoover
Served: 1929-1933
Events: Stock Market Crash
Quote: “Blessed are the young for they
shall inherit the national debt.”
Rank: Average
Nicknames:
The Great Engineer
The Great Humanitarian
The Chief
Background Info on Hoover
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Born: August 10, 1874 West Branch, Iowa
Died: October 20, 1964 (aged 90) New
York, NY
Religion: Quaker
Herbert Hoover and Thomas Edison were
named the two greatest engineers in U. S.
History.
During their first three years in the White
House, the Hoovers dined alone only three
times, each time on their wedding
anniversary.
Hoover was the first president to donate
his salary to charity.
Hoover moved his family to China before
becoming President, and he and his wife
learned to speak Mandarin Chinese
fluently. They would speak the language
around the White House to prevent others
from understanding them.
#32 (D) Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Served: 1933-1945
Achievements: 4 straight terms, New Deal, Lead WW II
Quote: “We have nothing to fear, but fear itself”
VP: John N. Garner (1933–41)
Henry A. Wallace (1941–45)
Harry S. Truman (1945)
Nicknames:
FDR
That Man in the White House
The New Dealer
Background Info on Roosevelt
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Born: January 30,
1882, Hyde Park, NY
Died: April 12,
1945, Warm Springs, GA
Only President to serve
four terms
5th cousin of TR, who was
his wife’s Uncle
First President to speak on
television
Avid stamp collector
First female cabinet
member (Sec. of Labor
Francis Perkins)
#33 (Dem) Harry S. Truman
Served: 1945-1953
Vice-President: Alben Barkley
Accomplishments: Truman Doctrine. Worked for
social welfare and civil rights
Quote: “A pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his
opportunities and an optimist is one who makes
opportunities of his difficulties.”
Nicknames:
Give 'Em Hell Harry
High-Tax Harry
Mister Missouri
Background Info on Truman
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Born: May 8, 1884 in Lamar,
Missouri
Died: December 26, 1972 (aged 88)
Kansas City, Missouri
Only served three months as VP
The “S” does not stand for anything
Before becoming the President,
Truman owned a haberdashery
business (a men's outfitter), which
went bankrupt in 1921.
Poor eyesight prevented him from
participating in sports
An avid reader, he claimed he had
read every book in the Independence
Public Library.
He was a fine pianist
#34 (R) Dwight Eisenhower
Served: 1953-1961
Vice-President: Richard Nixon
Accomplishments: Enforced School
integration
Quote: “Don't join the book burners. Do not think
you are going to conceal thoughts by concealing
evidence that they ever existed.”
Nicknames:
Ike
The Kansas Cyclone
Background Info on Eisenhower
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Born: October 14, 1890
Denison, Texas
Died: March 28, 1969 (aged 78)
Walter Reed General Hospital
Washington, D.C.
Supreme allied Commander of World
War II
Dwight referred to himself as “deeply
religious” but not affiliated with any
“sect or organization”
Eisenhower loved golf. He played
more than 100 rounds of golf each
year, was a member of Augusta
National, and had a putting green
installed on the White House lawn.
#35 (D) John F. Kennedy
Served: 1961-1963
Vice-President: Lyndon Johnson
Accomplishments: Peace Corps, Cuban
Missile Crisis
Quote: “Ask not what your country can to for
you, ask what you can do for your country”
Nicknames:
Jack
JFK
The King of Camelot
Background Info on Kennedy
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Born: May 29, 1917, Brookline, MA
Assassinated: November 22,
1963, Dallas, TX
He was a huge James Bond fan.
Kennedy received last rites three times
before his presidency.
He won a Pulitzer Prize for his first
book, “Why England Slept”
There were rumors that he considered
dropping Lyndon Johnson from the
1964 ticket.
JFK was the first president to dance
with black women at an inaugural ball.
Kennedy bought up 1,200 high-grade
Cuban cigars the day before he was to
order a ban on Cuban imports.
#36 (D) Lyndon B. Johnson
Served: 1963-1969
Vice-President: Hubert Humphrey
Accomplishments: The Great Society
Quote: “A man without a vote is man without
protection.”
Nicknames:
Landslide Lyndon
Light-Bulb Lyndon
LBJ
Background Info on Johnson
1.
Born: August 27, 1908, Stonewall, TX
2.
Died: January 22, 1973, Stonewall, TX
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President Johnson was famous among White
House staffers for having no shame about
asking people to follow him into the bathroom
to continue conversations as he relieved
himself.
LBJ was the youngest senate majority leader.
Johnson had loved the soda Fresca he had a
fountain installed in the Oval Office
LBJ died one mile from the house he was born
in.
He and his wife were married with a $2.50
wedding ring bought at Sears
#37 (R) Richard Nixon
V.P.: Spiro Agnew
Served: 1969-1974
Achievements: Opened relations with
China, Watergate, Ended Vietnam
Quote: “I am not a Crook”
Nicknames:
Gloomy Gus
Iron Butt
The Mad Monk
Tricky Dick
Background Info on Nixon
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Born: January 9, 1913 Yorba
Linda, CA
Died: April 22, 1994 (aged 81)
New York City, NY
Nixon was an avid bowler
Only President to resign while in
office
Nixon believed his brother to be
involved in shady business
dealings and sent the Secret
Service to spy on him
He used his WWII poker winnings
to fund his first congressional
campaign
#38 (R) Gerald Ford
V.P.: Nelson Rockefeller
Served: 1974-1977
Accomplishments: Improved relations
with China. Never truly elected to
office
Quote: “A government big enough to
give you everything you want is a
government big enough to take from you
everything you have.”
Nicknames:
Jerry
Mr. Nice Guy
Background Info on Ford
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Born: July 14, 1913, Omaha, NE
Died: December 26, 2006, Rancho
Mirage, CA
Ford and his wife were at one time
paid models
Only person to serve as president and
vice president of the United States who
was never elected to either office
On November 13, 2006, he became the
longest living U.S. president, at 93
years and 121 days, passing Ronald
Reagan's record.
First Eagle Scout to be president
#39 (D) Jimmy Carter
V.P.: Walter Mondale
Served: 1977-1981
Accomplishments: Organized peace
between Israel and
Egypt. Sought to
improve
human rights worldwide.
Quote: “America did not invent
human rights. In a very real sense
human rights invented America.”
Nicknames:
Jimmy
President Malaise
Background Info on Carter
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Born: October 1, 1924- (age 90), Plains, GA
Carter took over and ran his family's
peanut farm
First President born in a hospital
Navy Nuclear Engineer
Champion of human rights, especially in
regard to the governments of South
Korea, Iran, Argentina, South Africa, and
Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).
Received the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize for his
work "to find peaceful solutions to
international conflicts, to advance
democracy and human rights, and to
promote economic and social development"
through The Carter Center.
#40 (R) Ronald Reagan
V.P.: George H. Bush
Served: 1981-1989
Accomplishments: Arms-limitation with
USSR. Built US military up. Lowered
Taxes and inflation. US debt massively
increased during his administration.
End
of Iran hostage situation. Iran
Contra
Quote: “Government's first duty is to protect
the
people, not run their lives.”
Nicknames:
Dutch
The Great Communicator
The Gipper
The Teflon President
Background Info on Reagan
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Born: February 6, 1911, Tampico,
IL
Died: June 5, 2004, Bel-Air, Los
Angeles, CA
Appointed the first female
Supreme Court Justice - Sandra
Day O'Connor
Nicknamed "The Gipper" due to
his famous role as George Gipp
in the film "Knute Rockne-All
American."
Liked to feed the squirrels outside
the Oval Office.
Loved jelly beans.
#41George H. W. Bush
V.P.: Dan Quayle
Served: 1989-1993
Achievements: Persian Gulf War.
Quote: “We don't want an America
that is
closed to the world. What we want is a world
that is open to America.”
Nicknames:
Bush the Elder
Papa Bush
Poppy
Background Info on Bush Sr.
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Born: June 12, 1924 (age
90), Milton, MA
During World War II, he flew 58
combat missions for the Navy.
He is the second president to be
the father of another U.S.
president. (John Adams was the
first.)
Former Director of the CIA
In high school, Bush was the
captain of both the varsity
baseball and soccer teams, and he
played as a forward on the
school's basketball team.
#42 (D) William Clinton
V.P.: Al Gore
Served: 1992-2000
Achievements: Economic Boom,
Admin plagued with scandals
Quote: “We cannot build our own future
without helping others to build
theirs.”
Nicknames:
Bubba
The Comeback Kid
The First Black President
Slick Willie
Teflon Bill
Background Info on Clinton
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Born: August 19, 1946 (age 68), Hope, AR
In 1996, President Clinton became the first
Democrat to be elected to a second term
since Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1936
Clinton is the only president who was a
Rhodes Scholar
Clinton was just 16 years old when he
shook hands with President John F. Kennedy
in 1963
Clinton has won 2 Grammys for Best Spoken
Word Album in 2002 and 2005
#43 George W. Bush
Served: 2000-2008
Achievements:
Tax cuts, War on Terror, First of
the stimulus spending
Quote:
“I can hear you. The rest of the world hears
you. And the people who knocked these
buildings down will hear all of us soon”
Nicknames:
Bush Jr.
Dubya
The Decider
Background Info on W Bush
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Born: July 6, 1946 (age 68), New Haven,
CT
As a high school student, in addition to
playing baseball, George W. Bush was the
school's head cheerleader
George W. Bush had both the lowest and
highest approval ratings in United States
history. After the September 11, 2001
attacks, his rating was at 90 percent. His
approval rating was at 25 percent in 2008
While at Yale, George was arrested
for stealing a Christmas wreath from a
hotel
President Bush owned the Texas Rangers
from 1989 to 1994
#44 Barrack Obama
Served: 2008Accomplishments: First African American
president. Health Care Reform. Death of bin
Laden
Quote: “Yes we can”
“If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for
which it exists - to protect them and to promote their
common welfare - all else is lost.”
Nicknames:
Barry
No Drama Obama
Background Info on Obama
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4.
Born: August 4, 1961 (age
53), Honolulu, HI
He collects Spider-Man and
Conan the Barbarian comics
Obama spent some time in
Indonesia when he was young.
Aside from feasting on local
delicacies like dog meat, snake
meat and roasted grasshopper,
he even housed a pet ape
named Tata.
Won a Grammy in 2006 for the
audio version of his memoir