How well do you know your U.S. presidents?

By: Isadora Teich
Image: Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

Since the establishment of office back in 1789, the United States has had a president and to date, over 40 men have served as the head of the United States of America, some of whom have done so more than once. The president is the head of state and head of government who is elected by the people of the country and serves a four-year term. Once inaugurated, they immediately become one of the world's most powerful political leaders, not only because they control one of the largest economies, but also because they control one of the most expansive military and nuclear arsenals on the planet. 

Many of us have learned about these presidents, their accomplishments and failures during history class. We have also seen a few of them first hand and some of us have also voted for some of these men. Throughout history, there have been many firsts and advancements including the first African American president, the Declaration of Independence and a man who ended up being the president who was neither elected as the President nor Vice President. 

How well do you know your U.S. presidents? Will you only remember those who were involved in some kind of scandal or those who met their untimely demise? If you would like to test your knowledge of these U.S. leaders, then you can take this quiz!

Who was the first president of The United States?

George Washington was the first president of the United States. He served from 1789-1797.

Which president was assassinated?

John F. Kennedy was the 35th president of America. He was assassinated by a gunman on November 22, 1963, at the age of 46.

Who is currently President of the United States?

Donald Trump is currently the President of the United States. He's the 45th president and a Republican.

What war was Abraham Lincoln president during?

Abraham Lincoln was commander in chief during The Civil War. He was important to the preservation of the union and remembered as one of the greatest presidents of all time.

Which state was George W. Bush governor of before becoming president?

George W. Bush served as the 46th governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. He was elected president in 2000.

Who was the only U.S. president to ever resign?

Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States, was the only president to ever resign. His administration was using various illegal techniques to take down political opponents, like bugging their offices and harassing them. This is known as the Watergate scandal.

Which U.S. president served as a high-ranking military official during World War II?

Dwight D. Eisenhower served as the 34th President of the United States from 1953-1961. During World War II he was the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe.

Who was the only U.S. president to serve more than 2 terms?

Franklin D. Roosevelt was a Democrat who won a record four presidential elections, only to die a few months into his fourth term. He was commander in chief during most of the Great Depression and World War II and is remembered as one of the greatest presidents of all time.

Which U.S. president wrote the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States. The founding father served as Secretary of State and Vice President under John Adams. Jefferson was the primary author behind the Declaration of Independence.

Other than Harvard, what institution of higher learning is known for producing presidents?

For nearly 20 years, the president in office had a degree from Yale. George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all attended this university.

Which of these presidents was in office during World War I?

Woodrow Wilson served as the 28th President of the United States from 1913-1921. World War I lasted from 1914-1918.

Which president established many of our national forests and parks?

President Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican and progressive who was very concerned with conservation. He had a great love of nature, spent as much time outdoors as possible and established over 100 national forests and 5 national parks.

What state was President Abraham Lincoln born in?

Abraham Lincoln was born on Sinking Spring Farm in Kentucky in 1809. He was the 16th president of America.

What is the age of the oldest president to ever be elected?

At 70 years old, Donald Trump is the oldest man to ever be elected to office. Before him, the oldest president ever elected was Ronald Reagan, who assumed office at the age of 69 in 1981.

What was the length of the shortest term ever served by a U.S. president?

Ninth President of the United States William Henry Harrison served for only 32 days. He caught a cold on the day of his inauguration which became pneumonia and killed him.

How old do you have to be to run for president?

According to the constitution, no person under the age of 35 can run for president. They also have to have lived in America for 14 years prior to running.

Which state was Barack Obama senator of before becoming president?

Barack Obama was a member of the Illinois Senate from 1996-2004. He was then a U.S. Senator from Illinois from 2005-2008.

Who was the youngest president of all time?

At 42 years old, Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest man to ever serve as president. As the 26th President of the United States, he was a powerful progressive force.

Every president since 1953 has had:

Harry S. Truman, 33rd President of the United States, was the last president to not have a college degree. He was president from 1945-1953.

Which political party has the most U.S. presidents belonged to?

19 of the 45 Presidents of the United States have been Republicans, making them the majority. The current President of the United States, Donald Trump, is affiliated with the Republican Party.

Which U.S. president is known as "Old Hickory."

Andrew Jackson, the seventh President of the United States, served from 1829-1837. A controversial figure and war hero, he was known as Old Hickory because of how tough he was on the battlefield.

How many US presidents have died in office?

Over the course of U.S. history, eight presidents have died in office either of assassination or natural causes. Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Zachary Taylor and William Henry Harrison died of natural causes. William McKinley, James A. Garfield, Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy were assassinated.

Who is the richest U.S. president of all time?

With an estimated net worth of $3.7 billion, Donald Trump is by far the richest president of all time. The closest modern president to him in terms of wealth is Bill Clinton, who has a net worth of $75 million.

What is John F. Kennedy's middle name?

John Fitzgerald Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States. He was a leading Democrat who helped the country through the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Which president said the famous phrase "Tear down this wall!"

This line is from a famous speech made by President Ronald Reagan in West Berlin in 1987. He was demanding that the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, tear down the Berlin Wall. This wall had divided West Berlin from the communist-controlled East Berlin for over 20 years.

What political party did George Washington belong to?

Founding father and first President of the United States George Washington belonged to no political party. He was famously against political parties and was the only president ever to not belong to one.

How many U.S. presidents have been assassinated?

Over the course of the history of the United States, four of its presidents have been assassinated in office. They were Abraham Lincoln, William McKinley, James A. Garfield and John F. Kennedy.

Which state is home to the most U.S. presidents?

In total, eight presidents were born in Virginia. Many of our founding fathers were born in this state, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Both served as president.

Which U.S. president was the heaviest?

William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States, is remembered as the heaviest president to date. He stood 5 feet 11 inches tall and by the end of his presidency weighed over 300 pounds.

Which university has graduated the most U.S. presidents?

Harvard University has been attended by more U.S. presidents than any other school, for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. John Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama all have degrees from Harvard.

Barack Obama was a presidential first because he is:

Barack Obama was the first African-American president in U.S. history. As he was born in Hawaii, he was also the first president to be born outside of the contiguous United States.

Which of these presidents only served one term?

George H. W. Bush, the father of George W. Bush, was the 41st President of the United States. He served from 1989-1993.

Which state was our current president, Donald Trump, born in?

Donald Trump was born in Queens, New York City in 1946. He was raised there and went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to study business.

Which of these states has not produced a U.S. president?

A U.S. president has never been born in the state of Louisiana. Eight presidents have been born in Virginia, four in New York and two in Texas.

How many U.S. presidents have had no formal higher education degree?

While many modern presidents have at least one Ivy League degree, this was not necessary or even possible in the early days of America. Founding fathers and presidents like Abraham Lincoln and George Washington did not earn a formal degree.

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