TOP PRESIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

1. ABRAHAM LINCOLN- He was born Feb. 12th 1809 and died April 15th 1865. He served as the 16th U.S. president from March 1861 until his assassination in 1865. This is why he rates so high: He led America through the Civil War. He ended slavery in America. He helped preserve the union by promoting financial and economic modernization.First he was a lawyer, then he was elected to Illinois state legislature, then he was elected to the U.S. house of representatives and the President of the United States of America.

2. FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT-He was born January 30, 1882 and died April 12, 1945. FDR was the 32nd US President. He is the only US president in history to serve more than 2 terms. FDR along with Winston Churchhill and Joseph Stalin mapped out the course of action which led to defeating the Germans and Japan in World War 2. He spearheaded legislation called New Deal. The New Deal helped with economic growth with jobs, and he created social security.

3. RONALD REAGAN- Ronald Reagan was born Feb. 6, 1911 and died June 5, 2004. He started out in radio, then became a television and movie actor. He became the 33rd Governor of California and served 2 terms. After that Ronald Reagan became the 40th US President and served two terms. In his first term as president he survived an assassination attempt, instituted Reaganomics(which reduced tax rates to spur economic growth), and ordered the invasion of Grenada. In his second term he bombed Libya, helped in the Cold War and signed an INF treaty with Russia to decrease nuclear arsenal in the arms race.

4. JOHN F. KENNEDY- JFK was born May 29, 1917 and was assassinated on November 22, 1963. He was the 35th US President and served from 1961 until he was killed in 1963. JFK served in the military during WW2, then he served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 till 1953. After this he served in the U.S. Senate from 1953 till 1960. He beat Richard Nixon for the US Presidency to become the youngest president at age 43 and the only Catholic President. The major events that marked his time in office were The Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race(landing on the moon), and the Civil Rights Movement. He was the only president to ever win a Pulitzer Prize.

5. BILL CLINTON- He was born August 19, 1946. Bill Clinton was the 42nd U.S. President and served from 1993 until 2001. He got a law degree then was elected as Governor of Arkansas and completely overhauled the education system. He presided in his 2 terms over the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in American history. He passed welfare reform, he signed The North American Free Trade Act, and the State Childrens Health Insurance Program.

6. HARRY TRUMAN- Harry Truman was born May 8, 1884 and died December 26, 1972. He served in WW1 and in 1934 he was elected as a U.S.Senator. He was the 33rd US President and his many accomplishments during his tenure include: the defeat of Nazi Germany, the use of nuclear weapons against Japan, he founded the United Nations, he helped create NATO, and started The Truman Committee.

7. GEORGE WASHINGTON- He was the first US President in history, he was born February 22, 1732 and died December 14, 1799. George Washington was the military commander in chief in the Revolutionary War in which the US defeated Great Britain. He presided over writing the US constitution in 1787. He is known as the Father of America, he invented the cabinets in the White House and also the speaking of the inaugural address. He received the Congressional Gold Medal and was the delegate for the second continental congress of Virginia.

8. LYNDON B. JOHNSON- He was the 36th US President. He was born August 27, 1908 and died January 22, 1973. LBJ served in all 4 Federal elected positions including: Representative, Senator, Vice President and President. LBJ is responsible for signing the act called The Great Society which implemented great reforms in Medicaid, Medicare, civil rights and financial aide for education. Not to mention LBJ was famous for his War On Poverty.

9. THOMAS JEFFERSON- He was the 3rd US President , he was born April 13th, 1743 and died July 4, 1826. He was the principle author of The US Declaration of Independence. He founded The University of Virginia and he served in the Continental Congress. Thomas Jefferson was the Governor of Virginia, the first US Secretary of State, he presided over the Louisiana Purchase, and he sent the Louis and Clark expedition to explore the West. He was the US Ambassador to France and of course the 3rd US President in history.

10. ANDREW JACKSON- He was born March 15, 1767 and died June 8, 1845. Andrew Jackson was the 7th President of the United States. He created the Democratic party and he was an Army General who defeated the Indians at the Battle of Horse Shoe Bend. He was the military Governor of Florida, US Senator, member of the US House of Representatives and of course President of the United States.