Presidents of the United States

30. President Calvin Coolidge

Coolidge's term was marked by economic prosperity. However, he ignored signs that the stock market was likely to collapse.

34. President Dwight D. Eisenhower

A former World War II general and hero, Eisenhower helped end the Korean War and steered a moderate course during the Cold War.

2. President John Adams

Adams was the first President to live in the White House.

44. President Barrack Obama

Barack Obama is the first African American president of the United States. He is battling to provide universal health care and fair mortgage practices for home owners.

15. President James Buchanan

Buchanan tried to keep the South from seceding from the Union, but failed. Famous Fact: Buchanan was the only bachelor to ever serve in the White House.

39. President James E. Carter, Jr.

Carter had success promoting Middle East peace. But soaring oil prices, high inflation, and the Iran hostage crisis made him look weak and ineffectual. Famous Fact: Since leaving office, Carter has traveled the world doing charity work.

22. President Grover Cleveland

Cleveland expanded the Civil Service and ended wasteful government programs.

42. President William J. Clinton

Clinton achieved goals such as passage of the NAFTA trade agreement and cuts in the budget deficit. But his popularity was uneven and opponents tried to link him to several scandals.

41. President George H. W. Bush

During Bush's term, the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War ended. He also led the U.S. in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq. But economic troubles at home cost him his reelection bid.

37. President Richard M. Nixon

During Nixon's first term, he improved relations with the Soviet Union and China and wound down the Vietnam War. But the Watergate scandal forced Nixon to resign before Congress could impeach him. Famous Fact: Nixon is the only U.S. President in history to resign his office.

13. President Millard Fillmore

Fillmore approved the Compromise of 1850, allowing slavery in the South. But neither North nor South was happy with it, and Fillmore was blamed for the law's failure. Famous Fact: In 1856, Fillmore ran for President on the anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party ticket.

38. President Gerald R. Ford

Ford became Vice President after Nixon's Vice President resigned in disgrace, and President after Nixon resigned. His pardon of Nixon was unpopular, probably costing him reelection. Famous Fact: Ford is the only President never elected President or Vice President.

20. President James A. Garfield

Garfield set out to reform the "spoils system" by which politicians gave their friends low-level political offices. He was assassinated by a disappointed office seeker.

18. President Ulysses S. Grant

Grant was the top Union military hero of the Civil War.

29. President Warren G. Harding

Harding is regarded as the worst President with many scandals. Famous Fact: Harding's election was the first in which women voted.

26. President Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt was famous for the building of the Panama Canal, cracking down on business monopolies, and creating many national parks. Famous Fact: Roosevelt was the first President to visit a foreign country while in office.

23. President Benjamin Harrison

Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act of to set a framework for checking corporate monopolies.

9. President William H. Harrison

Harrison was the first President to die in office and he served the briefest term. He died from a cold.

19. President Rutherford B. Hayes

Hayes is one of only three Presidents to lose the popular vote but win the office. He won the election by one electoral vote.

5. President James Monroe

He formulated the Monroe Doctrine, which declared the Americas off-limits to European meddling.

21. President Chester A. Arthur

He helped create the Civil Service, the U.S. government employment system. Famous Fact: As a lawyer, Arthur defended a black woman who had been abused on a streetcar. He won the case, which led the streetcar companies to integrate.

11. President James K. Polk

He presided over the Mexican War, which added Texas, California, and other territory to the U.S.

24. President Grover Cleveland

His second term was during an economic depression which cost him popularity.

35. President John F. Kennedy

In 1962, the U.S. and the Soviet Union hovered on the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Kennedy eventually forced the Soviets to back down. He was assassinated in the third year of his term. Famous Fact: Kennedy is the only Roman Catholic to become President.

7. President Andrew Jackson

Jackson greatly expanded the powers of the Presidency. Famous Fact: Jackson was the first President to ride on a train.

6. President John Quincy Adams

John Adams and John Quincy Adams were the first father and son to have served as Presidents. He accomplished little.

36. President Lyndon B. Johnson

Johnson passed sweeping antipoverty and civil rights programs. However, he also involved the U.S. in the unpopular Vietnam War. Antiwar protests caused him to drop a reelection bid. Famous Fact: Johnson was sworn into office on an airplane after the Kennedy assassination.

43. President George W. Bush

Just eight months after being sworn in, President Bush had to unite a mournful country after the September 11th terrorist attacks. A self-proclaimed wartime commander-in-chief, President Bush, like his father, led the United States into war against Iraq. Famous Fact: Before focusing on national politics, George Bush was the managing partner and part owner of the Texas Rangers baseball team from 1989-1998.

16. President Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln led the Union into the Civil War to preserve the nation and end slavery. He was assassinated just five days after The Civil War ended.

4. President James Madison

Madison presided over the War of 1812 with Britain, during which the White House was burned. Madison is considered the father of the Bill of Rights.

25. President William McKinley

McKinley led the U.S. during the Spanish-American War. He was assassinated.

14. President Franklin Pierce

Pierce supported the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which gutted the Compromise of 1850. Its goal was to deal with the spread of U.S. slavery to territories in order to keep northern and southern interests in balance.

40. President Ronald W. Reagan

Reagan is credited with reviving national pride after the turmoil of the 1960s and 1970s. He enjoyed great popularity, though his conservative policies were controversial. Famous Fact: Reagan is the only President to survive after being wounded by a would-be assassin.

32. President Franklin D. Roosevelt

Roosevelt led the nation out of the Great Depression of the 1930s and to victory in World War II (1941-1945). He also greatly expanded the size and role of the federal government through his New Deal social programs. Famous Fact: Roosevelt is the only President elected four times.

17. President Andrew Johnson

Succeeding Lincoln, Johnson found himself in bitter battles with Congress over the Reconstruction of the U.S. after The Civil War.

27. President William H. Taft

Taft is the only President who became a Supreme Court Justice after leaving office.

12. President Zachary Taylor

Taylor threatened to use force to keep the South from leaving the Union. After his death, a compromise allowed slavery to continue in the South. Famous Fact: Taylor won fame as a general in the Mexican War. His soldiers called him "Old Rough and Ready."

31. President Herbert C. Hoover

The stock market crashed a few months into Hoover's term. The Great Depression that followed was widely and some say unfairly blamed on Hoover. Famous Fact: Hoover organized relief efforts in Europe after both World Wars.

33. President Harry S. Truman

Truman made the fateful decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan. World War II ended days later. Truman also led the U.S. during the Korean War (1950-1953).

10. President John Tyler

Tyler had 15 children, more than any President.

8. President Martin Van Buren

Van Buren's Presidency was marred by an economic depression. He was the first President to be born an American citizen, rather than a British subject.

28. President Woodrow Wilson

Wilson led the U.S. into World War II and drafted the peace plan that ended it. Wilson then fought to create the League of Nations, the forerunner of the United Nations.

1. President George Washington

The first President unified the new nation and shaped the chief executive's duties. He refused to run for a third term. He did not want to be "king of the U.S.".

3. President Thomas Jefferson

Considered the most brilliant President, he wrote the Declaration of Independence, founded the University of Virginia, and was an architect, a farmer, and a scientist.