May 2016
Volume XII. Issue 138A Monthly Publication of the U.S. Consulate Krakow
In this issue: American Presidents Zoom in on America
AMERICA’S 44 PRESIDENTS
1. George Washington (Feb. 22, 1732 - Dec. 14, 1799)
Nickname: Father of His Country
Political Party: Federalist
Term of Ofce: April 30, 1789 - March 3, 1797
Age at inauguration: 57
page 2
5. James Monroe
(April 28, 1758-
July 4, 1831)
Nickname: Era of Good
Feelings President
Political Party: Demo-
cratic-Republican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1817 - March 3,
1825
Age at inauguration: 58
4. James Madison
(March 16, 1751-
June 28, 1836)
Nickname: Father of
the Constitution
Political Party: Demo-
cratic-Republican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1809 - March 3,
1817
Age at inauguration: 57
3. Thomas Jeerson
(April 13, 1743-
July 4, 1826)
Nickname: Father of
the Declaration of Inde-
pendence
Political Party: Demo-
cratic-Republican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1801 - March 3,
1809
Age at inauguration: 57
2. John Adams
(Oct. 30, 1735-
July 4, 1826)
Nickname: Father of
American Indepen-
dence
Political. Party: Feder-
alist
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1797 - March 3,
1801
The rst President to
live in the White House
Age at inauguration: 61
6. John Quincy Ad-
ams (July 11, 1767-
Feb. 23, 1848)
Nickname: Old Man
Eloquent
Political Party: Demo-
cratic-Republican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1825 - March 3,
1829
Age at inauguration: 57
7. Andrew Jackson
(March 15, 1767-
June 8, 1845)
Nickname: Old Hickory
(given by his soldiers
who thought he was as
tough as a hickory tree
in the War od 1812 .)
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1829- March 3, 1837
Age at inauguration: 61
8. Martin Van Buren
(Dec. 5, 1782-
July 24, 1862)
Nickname: Little Magi-
cian
(because of his smooth
politics in New York and
short stature.)
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1837 -March 3, 1841
Age at inauguration: 54
9. William Henry
Harrison (Feb. 9,
1773-April 4, 1841)
Nickname: Tippecanoe
(to remember his vic-
tory at the 1811 Battle
of Tippecanoe.)
Political Party: Whig
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1841 - April 4, 1841
(he died just after one
month of presidency.)
Age at inauguration: 68
page 3
10. John Tyler
(March 29, 1790-
Jan. 18, 1862)
Nickname: His Acci-
dency
(given by his oppo-
nents when he ,as Vice
President, succeeded
late William Henry Har-
rison.)
Political Party: Whig
Term of Ofce: April 6,
1841 - March 3, 1845
Age at inauguration:51
14. Franklin Pierce
(Nov. 23, 1804-
Oct. 8, 1869)
Nickname: Handsome
Frank
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1853 - March 3,
1857
Age at inauguration: 48
11. James K. Polk
(Nov. 2, 1795-
June 15, 1849)
Nickname: Young
Hickory
(as he was a protégé of
Andrew Jackson)
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1845 -March 3, 1849
Age at inauguration: 49
15. James Buchanan
(April 23, 1791-
June 1, 1868)
Nickname: Top-Cent
Jimmy
(for his bookkeeping)
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1857 - March 3,
1861, the only Presi-
dent who never married
Age at inauguration: 65
12. Zachary Taylor
(Nov. 24, 1784-
July 9, 1850)
Nickname: Old Rough-
and-Ready (for his
engagement in the
military)
Political Party: Whig
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1849 - July 9, 1850
Age at inauguration: 64
16. Abraham
Lincoln (Feb. 12,
1809-April 15, 1865)
Nickname: Honest Abe
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1861 - April 15, 1865
assassinated
Age at inauguration: 52
(Called the greatest
U.S. President because
he reunited the coun-
try.)
13. Millard Fillmore
(Jan. 7, 1800-
March 8, 1874)
Nickname: Last of the
Whigs
Political Party: Whig
Term of Ofce: July 10,
1850 - March 3, 1853
Age at inauguration: 50
(He became President
when Zachary Tylor
died in ofce)
17. Andrew Johnson
(Dec. 29, 1808-
July 31, 1875)
Nickname: The Veto
President
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: April 15,
1865 - March 3, 1869
Age at inauguration: 56
page 4
18. Ulysses S. Grant
(April 27, 1822-
July 23, 1885)
Nickname: Uncondi-
tional Surrender Grant
(because of the terms
he set during the Battle
of Fort Donelson)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1869 -March 3, 1877
Age at inauguration: 46
22. Grover Cleve-
land (March 18,
1837-June 24, 1908)
Nickname: Uncle
Jumbo
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1885 - March 3,
1889
Age at inauguration: 47
(reelected as the 24th
President)
19. Rutherford
Hayes (Oct. 4, 1822-
Jan. 17, 1893)
Nickname: His Fraudu-
lency (because of dis-
puted results of popular
and electoral voting in
1876)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1877 -March 3, 1881
Age at inauguration: 54
23. Benjamin Har-
rison (Aug. 20,
1833-March 13,
1901)
Nickname: Little Ben
(due to his posture or
because his grandfa-
ther was President.)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1889 -March 3, 1893
Age at inauguration: 55
20. James
A. Gareld (Nov. 19,
1831-
Sept. 19, 1881)
Nickname: Preacher
President
(a good public speaker)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1881 - Sep.19, 1881
He was shot by an as-
sassin shortly after he
began his term.
Age at inauguration: 49
24. Graver Cleve-
land (March 18,
1837-June 24, 1908)
(see also above 22nd
President)
Elected again for the
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1893 -March 3, 1897
Age at inauguration: 55
21. Chester A. Ar-
thur (Oct. 5, 1829-
Nov. 18, 1886)
Nickname: Elegant
Arthur
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Sept.
20, 1881 - March 3,
1885
Age at inauguration: 51
25. William McKin-
ley (Jan. 29, 1843-
Sept. 14, 1901)
Nickname: Idol of Ohio
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1897 - Sept. 14,
1901- assassinated
Age at inauguration: 54
page 5
26. Theodore Roos-
evelt (Oct. 27, 1858-
Jan.6, 1919)
Nickname: T.R.
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Sept.
14, 1901 - March 3,
1909)
Age at inauguration: 42
30. Calvin Coolidge
(July 4, 1872-
Jan. 5, 1933)
Nickname: Silent Cal
(famously economical
with words)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Aug. 3,
1923 - March 3, 1929
Age at inauguration: 51
27. William How-
ard Taft (Sept. 15,
1857-March 8,
1930)
Nickname: Big Bill
(allusion to his posture)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1909 - March 3,
1913
Age at inauguration: 51
31. Herbert Hoover
(Aug. 10, 1874-
Oct. 20, 1964)
Nickname: Chief
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1929 - March 3,
1933
Age at inauguration: 54
28. Woodrow Wilson
(Dec. 29, 1856-
Feb. 3, 1924)
Nickname: Professor
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1913 - March 3,
1921
Age at inauguration: 56
32. Franklin D.
Roosevelt (Jan. 30,
1882-April 12, 1945)
Nickname: FDR
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: March
4, 1933 - April 12, 1945
Age at inauguration: 51
(elected 4 times - the
longest presidency)
29. Warren G. Hard-
ing (Nov. 2, 1865-
Aug. 2, 1923)
Nickname: Wobbly
Warren
(for the habit of chang-
ing his mind)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce:March 4,
1921 - Aug. 2, 1923
Age at inauguration: 55
33. Harry S. Truman
(May 8, 1884-
Dec. 26, 1972)
Nickname: Give ‘Em
Hell Harry
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: April 12,
1945 - Jan. 20, 1953
Age at inauguration: 60
page 6
34. Dwight Eisen-
hower (Oct. 14,
1890-Jan. 20, 1953)
Nickname: Ike
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Jan. 20,
1953 - Jan. 20, 1961
Age at inauguration: 62
38. Gerald Ford
(July 14, 1913-
Dec. 26, 2006)
Nickname: Jerry
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Aug. 9,
1974 - Jan. 20, 1977
Age at inauguration: 61
(The only president
never elected to the of-
ce of President or Vice
President.)
35. John F. Kennedy
(May 29, 1917-
Nov. 22, 1963)
Nickname: JFK
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: Jan 20,
1961 - Nov. 22, 1963 -
assassinated
Age at inauguration: 43
39. Jimmy Carter (b.
Oct. 1, 1924)
Nickname: Jimmy
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: Jan 20,
1977 - Jan. 20, 1981
Age at inauguration: 52
36. Lyndon B. John-
son (Aug. 27, 1908-
Jan. 22, 1973)
Nickname: LBJ
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: Nov. 22,
1963 - Jan. 20, 1969
Age at inauguration: 55
40. Ronald Reagan
(Feb. 6, 1911-
June 5, 2004)
Nickname: Dutch
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Jan. 20,
1981 - Jan. 20, 1989
Age at inauguration: 69
37. Richard Nixon
(Jan. 9, 1913-
Apr. 22, 1994)
Nickname: The Boss
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Jan 20,
1969 - Aug. 9, 1974 -
forced to resign from
ofce following a politi-
cal scandal.
Age at inauguration: 56
41. George Bush
(b. June 12, 1924)
Nickname: Poppy
(used from childhood)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Jan. 20,
1989 - Jan. 20, 1993
Age at inauguration: 64
page 7
42. William J. “Bill”
Clinton (b. Aug. 19,
1946)
Nickname: Comeback
Kid
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: Jan. 20,
1993 - Jan. 20, 2001
Age at inauguration: 46
43. George W. Bush
(b. July 6, 1946)
Nickname: Dubya (W.)
(the middle letter W
that distinguishes the
41st and 43rd Presi-
dent, Dubya - Texas
pronunciation of “W”)
Political Party: Repub-
lican
Term of Ofce: Jan. 20,
2001 - Jan. 20, 2009
Age at inauguration: 54
44. Barack Obama
(b. Aug. 4, 1961)
Nickname: Barry
Political Party: Demo-
crat
Term of Ofce: Jan. 20,
2009 - present
Age at inauguration: 48
In November 2016
the 45th President
of the United States
will be elected.
The Ofce of the President
There are a few requirements that each candidate for the
President of the United States must meet:
1. He or she must be born as a U.S. citizen.
2. Be at least 35 years old.
3. Must live in the country for at least 14 years.
The rst President, George Washington, was elected
unanimously on February 4, 1789 during meetings held
simultaneously in different states. He held his ofce for 8
years.
Since the rst President’s times, the United States has
gone through huge changes in terms of territory and popu-
lation. The country has grown from 13 to 50 states, while
its population is now about 80 times larger than at the end
of the 18th century. In the sphere of social changes the
most important was the abolition of slavery and granting
women voting rights. George Washington has been fol-
lowed by 42 other men who served one or more terms
in the ofce. Grover Cleveland was the only President to
serve two nonconsecutive terms in ofce and therefore his
Presidency is counted twice.
There are as many stories about Presidencies as there
are Presidents, but besides differences there are similari-
ties and comparisons to be made. By simply looking at the
Presidents’ metric it is easy to nd the President who was
the youngest (Theodore Roosevelt - 42) and the oldest
(Ronald Reagan - 69) at their inauguration. The President
who served the longest term was Franklin Delano Roos-
evelt (elected 4 times). By looking at the Presidents’ states
at birth, most were born in Virginia, which earned the state
the nickname “Mother of Presidents.” Massachusetts, New
York and Ohio can also boast to be the birth states of many
Presidents (together they brought 23.)
As many as nine Presidents have not completed their
terms of ofce. Richard Nixon resigned following a political
scandal, and eight died before the end of their Presidency.
Challenges in domestic and foreign policy have inuenced
each Presidential term. Some Presidents like Abraham
Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt or John F. Kennedy have
been remembered for their decisions, which had a huge
importance in and beyond the United States.
While the authors of the U.S. Constitution only loosely out-
lined the role of the Presidency, it has been worked out
and shaped throughout history and in relation to concrete
political situations in the country and globally.
While there are many differences between individual Pres-
idents, each takes the same oath upon taking the ofce:
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the
Ofce of President of the United States, and will to
the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend
the Constitution of the United States.”
(Ofcial White House
Photo by Pete Souza.)
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MAY 2016
TRIVIA QUESTION
Which President served two
non-consecutive
terms in ofce?
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Exercise 1: Reading comprehension
Scan read the short texts about the U.S. Presidents and nd the answers to these
questions:
1. Who was the youngest American President?
2. Who was the oldest American President?
3. Which President served the longest?
4. Who was the rst President to live in the White House?
5. How many Presidents died on the Fourth of July?
6. How many Presidents died during their term?
7. How many Presidents have the word “Father” in their nickname?
8. Who was the only President who never married?
9. Which President did not talk a lot?
10. Who was the second oldest President?
11. Who served the shortest term in ofce?
12. How many Presidents were removed from ofce?
13. Which President died at the youngest age?
14. Which President died at the oldest age?
15. Which President said this: “Ask not what your country can do for you - ask
what you can do for your country?”
Check your answers on Zoom’s Facebook page: https://goo.gl/QH3n9c
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