The U.S. Presidents and How They are Remembered

The President of the United States of America is arguably the most powerful government office in the world today. As President-elect Mr. Donald Trump enters office on January 20 as the 47th president, here is a look at the most famous presidents of the most powerful nation with a sketch of who is remembered for what!

From the Present to the Past—

Donald Trump (born 1946)

President Trump has been the 45 th president of the United States and re-enters office as the 47 th president on January 20. Trump enters the White House for the second time amidst Russia-Ukraine war, and a huge humanitarian crisis due to Middle-east conflict. He faces the tough economic situation of a resurgent China to maintain the economic supremacy of the United States of America.

The next four years will witness Trump’s international diplomacy and trade policies unfold in the world. While Trump faces an urgency to provide global leadership on climate change on the backdrop of a nasty wildfire in Los Angeles, his political acumen would be best judged as to how he brings around countries to balance between a rat-race growth and a sustainable development. De-nuclear-arming the world is another challenge that President Trump will have to look into amidst wars that have now become frequent.

Past—

George Washington (1732-1799)

Washinton was the first president of the United States of America and the capitol city of the nation is named after him. He was an American general and commander in chief of the colonial armies of the American Revolution (1775-1783), and became the first president. He led the American revolution, which was a Rising of the 13 Great Britian colonies in North America against their colonial rulers. The colonies won political independence against Great Britain and a treat was made in 1783 formally ending the war. The colonies then formed a nation that came to be known as United States of America. He was the president from 1789–1797.

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826)

Thomas Jefferson became the president of the United States after the second president, Jon Adams, and is remembered for his famous drafting of the Declaration of Independence of the United States. He is the most ardent proponent of individual freedom as the core value of American Revolution. He served as the president from 1801–1809.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Lincoln holds a significant place in the list of American presidents. He is known for his simple but famous definition of democracy. He was the 16 th president of the United States who served between 1861–1865. He is credited to have saved the Union during the bloody civil war in the United States and is known for his historic work of emancipation of the enslaved people.

Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919)

Roosevelt is known for the construction of Panama Canal between 1904-14, which in later years became an important water route for international trade.

Roosevelt was the 26 th president of the United States and served between 1901-1909). He was a writer and a soldier. Roosevelt is credited for steering the United States toward an active role in world politics.

Roosvelt was awarded Nobel Prize for Peace in 1906 for mediating to end the Russia-Japan War-1904-05.

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945)

Franklin D. Roosevelt is remembered for his great works: leading the nation out of the Great Depression of 1933, and his international leadership during the Second World War of 1940-45. He remained president of the United States from 1933 to 1945—he was elected to the office for four times, and is the only president to be so. He teamed with other great leaders of the time, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian President Joseph Stalin to guide the world into formation of the United Nations after the end of the Second World War.

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

Supposedly a very popular president of the United States, known for his charm. He served as the 35 th president of the United States, between 1961–63 and died of an assassination while riding a motorcade in Dallas. Facing numerous foreign affairs crises including Cuban missile crisis, he achieved Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963) signed between the U.S. and the USSR. The First Lady Jacquiline Kennedy was known for her beauty and fashion.

Richard Nixon (1913-1994)

Nixon became the 37 th president of the United States of America between 1969–1974). Nixon’s tenure was marred by Watergate scandal and almost impeached from presidency. He however became the first president in the history of the U.S. to resign from office.

Jimmy Carter (1924-2024)

Only president of the United States so far to live one hundred years of long life, to be awarded Nobel Prize for Peace for his commendable works for the home-needy people after his presidency.  The people of United States of America gave a memorable final farewell a few days back. His presidency was marked by many problems at home and abroad—at which he had an unsuccessful take-on. However, he is known for his humanitarian works and unwavering stands for human dignity. He was the president of the U.S. between 1977–81.

George H. W. Bush (1924-2018)

George W. Bush was the 41 st president of the United States between 1989–1993, and is remembered for his roles for compelling through a multinational force the withdrawal of Iraq from Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War. The United States and its allies defeated Iraq in the Gulf War.

Bill Clinton (born in 1946)

Clinton was the 42 nd president of the United States of America and served between 1993 to 2001. His tenure is marked by peace which served as time for the U.S. economic expansion. Clinton had his share of ups and downs. His wife Hillary Clinton became the Secretary of State in the tenure of President Barack Obama.

George W. Bush (born 1946)

Buh Jr was the 43 rd President, who served the nation between 2001-2009. He is remembered for the Iraq War in 2003. It was during his tenure that terrorists crashed airplane into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Under the leadership of Bush, the U.S. then attacked Afghanistan in 2001.

Barack Obama (born in 1961)

Barack Obama served as the president between 2009 to 2017, and his tenure is known for peace-time expansion of U.S. influence internationally. Obama was the first African American to hold the highest office in the United States. Obama was awarded Nobel Prize for Peace in 2009 for his work for international peace. 

Joe Biden (born 1942--)

Biden served as the 46 th president of the United States of America after the first term of Donald Trump. Biden’s tenure witnessed twin international conflicts in the globe—Russia-Ukraine war and Israel-middle east conflict. Despite making serious efforts to end Israel-middle east conflict, Biden did not succeed to end Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah conflicts in the Middle-East.