Presidents of the USA

A list of American Presidents

46. Joe Biden in office: 2021 - 2025

Joe Biden (1942 -)

On January 20th, 2021, Joe Biden finally accomplished his goal: he was sworn into office as the 46th President of the United States. This event marked the culmination of the former Vice President's long political career of around 50 years. When he took office, the tireless man…

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45. Donald John Trump in office: 2017-2021, 2025-2029

Donald J. Trump was born on June 14th, 1946 in Queens, New York to Fred and Mary Anne Trump. Trump’s father Fred Trump was born in New York City, but his grandfather was an immigrant from Kallstadt, Germany. Trump’s mother Mary Anne Macleod was from Tong, Scotland and married Fred…

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44. Barack Hussein Obama Jr. In office: 2009-2017

Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. (1961-)

Barack Obama is not only the 44th and the current President of the United States; he also became the first African-American president in U.S. history when he was elected on November 5, 2008 and inaugurated on January 20, 2009 and he won the Nobel Peace Prize…

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43. George W. Bush In office: 2001-2009

George W. Bush (1946-)

The Republican George W. Bush is the son of the former U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush and the grandson of the U.S. Senator Prescott Sheldon Bush. He become the 43rd President of the United States of America in 2001. 

Bush was raised in Texas with his siblings…

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42. William Jefferson Clinton In office: 1993-2001

Bill Clinton (1946-)

Bill J. Clinton was one of the youngest U.S. Presidents and was very popular with the public. He was born on August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas. 

His father died a few months after his birth and he was raised by his grandparents. In 1950, his mother returned from…

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41. George Herbert Walker Bush In office: 1989-1993

George Bush (1924-2018) 

George Herbert Walker Bush was born on June 12th, 1924 in Milton, Massachusetts and became the 41st President of the United States in 1989. His father Prescott Bush was a former senator of Connecticut. 

Bush joined the Marines in 1942 and quickly went up the ranks. During World War II,…

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40. Ronald Wilson Reagan In office: 1981-1989

Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) 

Before Ronald Wilson Reagan became the President of the United States, he had made over 50 movies. As an actor, he carried over his public speaking skills to his presidency.

He was born on February 6th in Tampico, Illinois.

After finishing high school, Reagan studied business and sociology at …

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39. James Earl Carter Jr. In office: 1977-1981

Jimmy Carter (1924-) 

James Earl (Jimmy) Carter Jr. was born on October 1st, 1924 in Plains, Georgia to a farming family. He is often known as the peanut farmer. He was raised in a Baptist family which secured his Christian believes and his passion for social reform and human rights.  

In 1943…

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38. Gerald Rudolph Ford In office: 1974-1977

Gerald Ford (1913-2006)

Gerald Rudolph Ford was born on July 14th, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. He has been the only president to have not been elected as president or vice-president. In 1974 he became president after Richard Nixon resigned from office. 

After studying law at Yale University, Ford started a law firm…

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37. Richard Milhous Nixon In office: 1969-1974

Richard Nixon (1913-1994) 

Richard Milhous Nixon served as the 37th President of the United States. He was a graduate of Duke University School of Law and practiced law in California. He is the only president to have resigned from office.

During World War II, Nixon served as a Marine officer in the…

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36. Lyndon Baines Johnson In office: 1963-1969

Lyndon B. Johnson (1908-1973) 

Lyndon B. Johnson was born on August 27th in 1908 in Texas. He grew up in poor conditions and learned early on what it meant to fight his way up to the top.

He was active as a teacher for people of Mexican descent. In 1937 he ran…

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35. John Fitzgerald Kennedy In office: 1961-1963

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born on May 29th in 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts. He was born as the second of nine children of Irish descendants. After graduating from a catholic university, Kennedy studied political science at Harvard University and joined the U.S. Navy in the Second World…

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34. Dwight David Eisenhower In office: 1953-1961

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) 

Dwight David Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States of America. He became probably best known for the so-called Eisenhower Doctrine, in which he expressed himself against the spread of the Soviet Union in the Middle East.

Eisenhower was born in Texas and grew up in…

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33. Harry S. Truman In office: 1945-1953

Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) 

As Vice President under Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman became after his death the 33rd President of the United States.

Truman was responsible for the atomic bomb dropping of Japan and he led the United States into Cold War with the Soviet Union.

At the age of 22 to 23,…

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32. Franklin Delano Roosevelt In office: 1933-1945

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was from 1933 to 1945 the president of the United States.

Roosevelt came from one of the wealthiest and most noble families in New York and has been very distantly related to the 26th U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt. He had private lessons until his 14th…

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31. Herbert Clark Hoover In office: 1929-1933

Herbert Hoover (1874-1964) 

Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States.

Hoover was born in West Branch, Iowa and had forefathers from Germany and Switzerland and grew up in a Quaker Family.

He graduated from the newly established Stanford University as a mining engineer. He worked in his profession in…

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30. John Calvin Coolidge In office: 1923-1929

Calvin Coolidge (1872-1933)

Having served as Vice President under President Warren G. Harding from 1921 to 1923, after his death John Calvin Coolidge became the 30th President of the United States of America.

Coolidge was born in Plymouth, Vermont. After College, Coolidge studied law and opened his own chambers in 1898.

As before his…

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29. Warren Gamaliel Harding In office: 1921-1923

Warren G. Harding (1865-1923) 

The newspaper publisher and politician Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States and only 27 month in office.

After college, Warren G. Harding tried one’s luck as a teacher, insurance agent and law student before he started working for a newspaper. In 1884 he…

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28. Thomas Woodrow Wilson In office: 1913-1921

Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924)

Thomas Woodrow Wilson held from 1913 to 1921 the highest political office in the United States.

From his mother’s side he was Scottish origin and on his father’s side Scottish- Irish origin.

Woodrow graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1879. Afterwards he studied law and…

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27. William Howard Taft In office: 1909-1913

William Howard Taft (1857-1930)

William Howard Taft was the 27th President of the United States. He reigned from March 1909 to March 1913. He had the difficult job to fit in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt. His was goal was to consolidate the reforms initiated by Roosevelt. Roosevelt was not only…

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26. Theodore Roosevelt In office: 1901-1909

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) 

From September 1901 to March 1909 Theodore Roosevelt ruled over the United States of America.

Roosevelt was born in 1858 in New York City. Because of Roosevelt’s severe asthma he had to be taught by private tutors at home, after this in 1876 he went to Harvard University to…

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25. William McKinley In office: 1897-1901

William McKinley (1843-1901) 

William McKinley was next to Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield, the third U.S. president who fell victim to an assassination during his mandate.

William McKinley, Jr. was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio, and was one of nine children. His parents were from Scottish origin. After school, he…

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24. Grover Cleveland In office: 1893-1897

Grover Cleveland (1837-1908)

Stephen Grover Cleveland was from 1885 to 1889 the president of the United States and the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore the only one to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents.

Grover Cleveland was born on March 18th in 1837, in Caldwell, New…

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23. Benjamin Harrison In office: 1889-1893

Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901)

Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833 in North Bend, Ohio. His grandfather was William Henry Harrison, he was 1841 the 9th President of the United States for just one month. Harrison studied law at the Miami University in Oxford and founded successfully his own chambers in Cincinnati.

Harrison…

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22. Grover Cleveland In office: 1885-1889

Grover Cleveland (1837-1908)

Stephen Grover Cleveland was from 1885 to 1889 the president of the United States and the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore the only one to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents.

Grover Cleveland was born on March 18th in 1837, in Caldwell, New…

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21. Chester Alan Arthur In office: 1881-1885

Chester A. Arthur (1829-1886)

After being the vice president, Chester Alan Arthur became the 21st President of the United States after the assassination of President James A. Garfield.

Chester Alan Arthur was the son of a Scottish-Irish Father. Later in Arthur’s life his father joined the Free Will Baptists, spending the rest…

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20. James Abram Garfield In office: 1881-1881

James Abram Garfield (1831-1881)

James Abram Garfield was appointed 20th President of the United States of America in March of 1881, a possition he held until his death in the same year.

Having gotten his name from his brother, James Ballou Garfield, who died at a young age and losing his father…

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19. Rutherford B. Hayes In office: 1877-1881

Rutherford B. Hayes

Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born on October 4th, 1822, in Delaware. He attended the Kenyon College and Harvard Law School after which he started working as a lawyer in 1845.

He fought as a soldier in the Civil War and was titled Major. Between 1868 and 1876 Hayes served…

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18. Ulysses S. Grant In office: 1869-1877

Ulysses S. Grant

Ulysses Simpson Grant was born on April 27th of 1822. At the age of 17 he was forced to attend the military academy of West Point, New York. In the war against Mexico he became an honorable soldier under Governor Zachary Taylor’s leadership, however, and was appointed as…

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17. Andrew Johnson In office: 1865-1869

Andrew Johnson (1808-1875)

 Not qualifying for any higher education, Andrew Johnson learnt to be a tailor and opened his own business in 1826 in Greenville, Tennessee.

His first wife, Eliza McCardle, helped him to learn how to read and write. Johnson’s business went very well and made him become a well-recognized and…

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16. Abraham Lincoln In office: 1861-1865

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Abraham Lincoln counts as one of the most important US Presidents in history- on one level with founding father George Washington and even higher that both Jefferson and the Roosevelts.

Lincoln grew up in a poor family, all of them neither being able to read or write. His political…

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15. James Buchanan In office: 1857-1861

James Buchanan (1791-1868)

James Buchanan was born on Pennsylvania as son of Irish immigrants. Buchanan, just like Pierce, started off with a lawyer career. Being a talented speaker finally lead him into politics.

Initially being a member of the federalists, Buchanan later joined the Democrats as his own party split up in…

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14. Franklin Pierce In office: 1853-1857

Franklin Pierce (1804-1869)

Franklin Pierce, born as a governor’s son in the state of New Hampshire, studied law at the University in Northhampton, Massachusetts, and became an official lawer in 1827.

His political career he started by joining the Democratic Party in New Hampshire. He later was a member of the House…

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13. Millard Fillmore In office: 1850-1853

Millard Fillmore (1800-1874)

Millard Fillmore was not elected as President but filled the position of former President Zachary Taylor after his sudden death for Fillmore was Taylor’s Vice President.

Having grown up in a rather poor farmer’s family Fillmore went to High School and continued his studies at a college for law…

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12. Zachary Taylor In office: 1849-1850

Zachary Taylor (1784-1850)

Zachary Taylor was born in 1784 in the state of Virginia and grew up on his parent’s farm. In 1806 Taylor joined the army which was the start of a successful military career which resulted in him becoming General and overall 40 years serving the US Army.

In 1841…

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11. James K. Polk In office: 1845-1849

James K. Polk (1795-1849)

James Know Polk was born in North Caroline in 1795. Influenced by his very liberal father and grandfather he also became a liberal and followed Thomas Jefferson’s tradition as a convinced Democrat. In 1821 he functioned as a writer in the house of assembly in Tennessee-. Polk…

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10. John Tyler In office: 1841-1845

John Tyler (1790-1862)

John Tyler was born as the seventh of eight children of a rich cotton industrial family. With 17 he already started his studies of law and graduated only two years later as a licensed lawyer.

After a couple practical experiences as a lawyer he then started to expand his…

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9. William Henry Harrison In office: 1841-1841

William Henry Harrison (1773-1841)

William Henry Harrison was born in 1773 as the son of a politically active family. His father, for example, had been involved in the American Revolution and the Independency movement.

Harrison himself became governor of Indiana and was later appointed senator for Ohio. His political opinion expressed support…

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8. Martin van Buren In office: 1837-1841

Martin Van Buren (1782-1862)

Martin Van Buren, born in New York State as the son of Dutch immigrants, started his political commitment in 1800 when he joined the Democratic Party. In 1807 he married Hannah Hoes, with whom he had four children. After she died in 1819 he never re-married and…

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7. Andrew Jackson In office: 1829-1837

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)

Andrew Jackson, known for his independent attacks on the Spanish in Florida and the violence and displacement directed at the Indians, was the first “President of the People” since he was the first president from a humble background, which made him very popular among ordinary voters.

Jackson, who was…

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6. John Quincy Adams In office: 1825-1829

John Quincy Adams (1767-1848)

John Quincy Adams, son of the second president John Adams, was the sixth president of the United States of America.

In 1779 the 12 year old Adams accompanied his father to Europe where he helped out as a translator and assistant. As a student he already knew how…

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5. James Monroe In office: 1817-1825

James Monroe (1758-1831)

James Monroe started his career off by going to law school. Due to the war of independence in 1776 he dropped out of college, however, he wasn’t in the army for long and was sent back home wounded. Having become a Major nevertheless he returned to his law…

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4. James Madison In office: 1809-1817

James Madison (1751 - 1836)

Just like the presidents before him, James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America, was a former leader of the independency movement. Since he moved to the Democratic Republican Party in 1771 due to his discontent with the federalist financial politics he was…

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3. Thomas Jefferson In office: 1801-1809

Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

Thomas Jefferson, main author of the declaration of independence of 1774, was the third president of the United States of America and the most important one in history.

As Virginia’s delegate at the continental congress Jefferson formed a first outline of the declaration of independence in 1774…

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2. John Adams In office: 1797-1801

John Adams (1735-1826)

John Adams, first vice president of the United States of America, was the second President from 1797 to 1801.

Attorney Adams started an early career as a journalist and wrote, among others, about the development of the colonies. In 1764 he married Abigail Smith who connected him with the…

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1. George Washington In office: 1789-1797

George Washington (1732- 1799)

George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the United States. As a child and throughout his teenager years he lived in Virginia where he grew up along with the higher nobility Fairfax family whose daughter Sally he became close friends with.

Despite his feelings for Sally…

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