United States. Presidents

The presidents of the United States form a long, uneven chain stretching from George Washington, who took office in 1789, to Donald Trump, who is serving as the 47th president after previously serving as the 45th. The role combines head of state, head of government, and commander in chief, and each president has helped define what the job can be.

Some presidents are remembered for founding eras or national tests: Thomas Jefferson and the early republic, Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Great Depression and World War II, and modern figures such as John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Donald Trump, whose presidencies shaped very different political moments. The full list also includes singular cases like Grover Cleveland, the only president to serve two nonconsecutive terms before Trump.

Taken together, the presidents offer a compact way to trace U.S. history itself — expansion, conflict, reform, scandal, war, recovery, and constant debate over executive power. Whether admired, criticized, or fiercely contested, each presidency leaves a mark on the national story.