Donald Trump is the 47th president of the United States, but only 45 have served in the office. Trump is the second president to serve in non-consecutive terms. Grover Cleveland was first when he was inaugurated in 1885 and again in 1893. How much do you know about our nation’s chief executives? Find out with this short, fun Presidents Day quiz.
1. In his Farewell Address, this president encouraged Americans to “observe good faith and justice towards all nations” and “cultivate peace and harmony with all.”
A: George Washington
B: John Adams
C: Thomas Jefferson
D: James Madison
Answer: A. Washington’s 1796 Farewell Address set the stage for the first peaceful transfer of power. He didn’t deliver the address in person; instead, it was published in Philadelphia’s American Daily Advertiser.
2. In 1809, this future president was the first born outside one of America’s original 13 colonies.
A: Andrew Jackson
B: Millard Fillmore
C: Abraham Lincoln
D: Andrew Johnson
Answer: C. Lincoln was born in a log cabin in LaRue County, Ky., which became part of his lore. His family moved to Indiana — also not one of the original colonies — when Lincoln was 7 years old.
3. On March 4, 1841, this president gave the longest inaugural address at more than 8,000 words. It was followed by America’s shortest presidency — just 32 days.
A: James Monroe
B: William Henry Harrison
C: Zachary Taylor
D: William McKinley
Answer: B. The 1840 election delivered Harrison an overwhelming victory over incumbent Martin Van Buren. He gave a two-hour inaugural address on a cold, wet day. He died of pneumonia four weeks into his presidency.
4. At age 42, this man became America’s youngest president.
A: Theodore Roosevelt
B: Calvin Coolidge
C: John F. Kennedy
D: Bill Clinton
Answer: A. Roosevelt took the presidential oath on September 14, 1901, after William McKinley’s assassination. When Kennedy was inaugurated in 1961 at age 43, he became the youngest president elected to the office.
5. This president kept a sign on his desk that said, “The Buck Stops Here.”
A: Warren G. Harding
B: Harry Truman
C: Dwight D. Eisenhower
D: Lyndon B Johnson
Answer: B. Truman’s famous “The Buck Stops Here” sign was made at a prison in Oklahoma. Truman showed he was not afraid to make difficult decisions by using the atomic bomb twice and later firing Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
6. Despite being mocked by comedians for his (alleged) clumsiness, this president was a star football player at the University of Michigan who received offers to play professionally. He eventually entered politics and, as president, issued one of America’s most controversial pardons.
A: Richard Nixon
B: Gerald Ford
C: Jimmy Carter
D: Ronald Reagan
Answer: B. Ford was the Most Valuable Player at the University of Michigan. Confirmed as vice president in 1973 after Spiro Agnew’s resignation, Ford became president nine months later when Nixon resigned — making him the only person to serve without being elected president or vice president. His 1974 pardon of Nixon was controversial but was seen as important for national unity.
