Lists about the history and quirks of America's highest office.

The American Presidency

Presidential speeches are often remembered for one great phrase, memorable line, or rhetorical flourish that makes its way into the history books. But they should be seen as more than collections of memorable words - in fact, as documents of their time and place. Great presidential speeches are made in the context of crises, challenges, and times of great peril. But they can also inspire, uplift, and encourage. The truly great speeches manage to do both at once.What's less well-known about many of the great addresses by presidents that they're short. Maybe the most famous speech in American history, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, is just over two minutes long. Many others, rather than being long rambles of adjectives and superlatives, are fewer than one thousand words, and lasted just 10 minutes. They didn't need thousands and thousands of words to make their point, just a few well-chosen ones given by a dynamic speaker.Here are the greatest and most inspiring presidential speeches of all time, be sure to upvote those that inspire you the most!

The Best Presidential Speeches of All Time

Quotation

The 20 Best Presidential Speeches of All Time

Mike Rothschild

In the entertainment industry, shows and movies about cops and lawyers are considered especially great. These are their stories.

Book 'Em, Danno

While CIA agents are out gallivanting across the world causing coups and destabilizing regions, the Federal Bureau of Investigation frequently concerns itself with what&#39;s actually happening on American soil. They don&#39;t usually carry quite as much baggage, and so&nbsp;FBI characters are often perfect pop culture heroes. The&nbsp;greatest FBI characters in film and TV are the Donnie Brascos and the Johnny Utahs, hunting down criminals and making sure we can sleep safely knowing that someone, somewhere, is&nbsp;out there protecting us. Crime stands no chance against the FBI&#39;s best and brightest.

But even though they&#39;re all working for America, surely some of them are better at keeping us safe than others. After all,&nbsp;Taken&#39;s Bryan Mills had already retired from the FBI when he successfully tracked down his daughter&#39;s captors. Does that qualify him as the greatest FBI agent of all time, or should that honor go to someone like Clarice Starling in <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/silence-of-the-lambs-is-hilarious/erin-mccann?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Silence of the Lambs</a> for going toe-to-toe with the creepiest serial killer ever?

It&#39;s up to you to decide! Vote up the best fictional FBI characters you think are the best at safeguarding your security. Is there somebody we missed? Add them to the list!

The Best Fictional FBI Agents

Fictional Character

The 35+ Greatest FBI Characters In TV & Film, Ranked

Ranker Entertainment

Lists about the myths and realities of those who worship the other Big Guy.

Could It Be... Satan?

Whoa Facts

In a world where civil liberties are under attack almost daily, women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community need all the help they can get - even if it's from the Satanic Temple. Yes, the Satanic Temple regularly advocates for religious freedom, especially for the non-religious.&nbsp;The Satanic Temple's long history with abortion rights, women's reproductive rights, and as well as their history of trolling Hobby Lobby, states like Ohio and Missouri, and the Westboro&nbsp;Church, may make them an unlikely ally, but they are certainly committed to their cause. The Temple has even made headlines for its continued investment in an ongoing lawsuit from 2015 where a Missouri woman was forced to undergo several state-mandated requirements before she was allowed to have an abortion.&nbsp;Though the Satanic Temple is not related to the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/old-church-of-satan-photos/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">Church of Satan,</a> you may still find horns and lots of black robes - or you may just find people who vehemently oppose the restrictions placed by the religious right. You definitely won't find anyone sacrificing animals... or any Trump supporters.&nbsp;

The Satanic Temple Wants You To Know They're On The Right Side Of History

General

The Satanic Temple Is Not Here For Any Of Your Oppressive BS

Beth Elias

Though the U.S. is not even 250 years old, history textbooks already must omit a great deal. Here are in-depth looks at a few of the most fascinating and less flattering events and scenes that took place on American soil.

America's Forgotten History

Politics

Between the Statue of Liberty in New York and South Dakota&#39;s Mount Rushmore, the concrete heads of 42&nbsp;US&nbsp;presidents lie deteriorating in a Virginia field. And the Presidents Park statues have only grown more popular since the short-lived attraction&nbsp;shut down in 2010 due to lack of attendance. Rather than&nbsp;symbols of American history, the heads are now another remnant&nbsp;of an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-pictures-of-abandoned-amusement-parks/jordan-love" target="_blank">abandoned amusement park</a>.

Presidents Park was envisioned&nbsp;as an educational landmark dedicated to preserving the memory of America&#39;s presidents. The busts -&nbsp;from George Washington to George W. Bush -&nbsp;allowed visitors to approach them, inspect the detailed faces, and compare the likenesses to actual&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-last-pictures-of-us-presidents-before-they-died/nicky-benson" target="_blank">presidential photos</a>. Instead of being destroyed when the park closed, however, the heads were moved to a nearby field where they still sit -&nbsp;waiting for another chance&nbsp;to stare blankly at tourists.

There's A Failed Mount Rushmore In The Middle Of Virginia

The Story of President's Park: The Failed Mount Rushmore of Virginia

Erin McCann

Lists about the most memorable fictional characters in film, TV, and literature that will stick in our minds forever.

Characters We'll Never Forget

Lists that rank great movies and TV shows about politics and politicians.

Politics on Screen

poll

A list of the greatest fictional presidents. Browse through this list of the greatest fictional presidents <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/fictional-tv-presidents/ranker-tv" target="_blank">from TV</a>, movies, and more to see those characters who served their country well. These presidents are ranked by the community in order from most popular fictional presidents to the least popular.

If you don&rsquo;t agree with the rankings below, vote up the presidents that you think were the greatest, and see them rise on the list. If you don&rsquo;t see the great fictional president you love on the list, go ahead and add him or her below. Some presidents are strong leaders and really help their people and country, while other presidents are so horrible that they don&rsquo;t need to be doing any sort of leading.&nbsp;

The great presidential leaders are the ones that you will find on this list. Cast your votes below - there&#39;s no electoral college to get in the way in this election!

Tom Beck

The Greatest Fictional Presidents

Ranker Characters

Guns

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution was passed&nbsp;by Congress on September 25, 1789, and it was officially ratified on&nbsp;December 15, 1791. In the more than two centuries since its ratification, Amendment II has been the subject of repeated and wide-ranging interpretational debate. That likely has something to do with the forthright simplicity of the text of the Second Amendment, which states,&nbsp;&quot;A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.&quot;However, what the Second Amendment means has come under increased scrutiny in the 21st-century United States. To some, it needs to be reinterpreted in the context of modern life so that it reflects the range of firearms that exist today. For others, the mandate of the amendment is clear, and any regulations on firearms fly in the face of the Constitution. Is there a regulatory middle ground for firearms?If you support the Second Amendment, do you support any firearm regulations? If so, which gun-control measures are you in favor of?

Which Gun Control Regulations Would You Most Support?

Ranker News

Get to know the elected and appointed officials who draft your bills, vote on your laws, and spend / are paid by your taxes. 

Lawmakers & Fakers

Politics in the United States can be tricky and religious politicians generally have an advantage. During the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/craziest-us-election-cycles/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">election cycle</a>, a lack of faith can easily be used against a potential candidate. America&#39;s strong religious roots mean many voters feel more comfortable&nbsp;opting for a candidate with faith in God. Despite the <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/theres-strong-bias-against-atheists-around-world-180964382/" target="_blank">rising number</a> of secular Americans, polls and studies indicate a general public mistrust of atheists. Therefore, it may seem&nbsp;all&nbsp;US politicians maintain Christian beliefs. However, this is surprisingly not the case.&nbsp;There are some US congresspeople, governors, mayors, and state legislators&nbsp;who are atheists and use their public platform as a way to dispel misconceptions about nonbelievers.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

While it is likely that there have been countless &quot;closet atheists&quot; in US politics, in more recent history, several prominent US politicians have publicly admitted they do not believe in God. This has sparked a national debate about the presence of religion in politics. Religious freedom is an important tenet of the United States, and that extends to the freedom to practice no religion. The men and women below are helping increase visibility&nbsp;for a group that remains heavily scrutinized in the United States.&nbsp;

Every United States Politician In History Who's Openly Been An Atheist

Politician

Celebrity Lists

Offenders like&nbsp;Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Dennis Rader (popularly known as BTK) have gained notoriety because of the nature of their crimes. But have you ever heard of Samuel Little? Little, who <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/31/us/samuel-little-serial-killer-obit-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">died in prison</a> on December 30, 2020, at age 80,&nbsp;is responsible for taking out&nbsp;as many people as Bundy, Gacy, and BTK combined, yet he remains a&nbsp;relatively unknown <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/black-serial-killers/ranker-crime" target="_blank">serial killer</a>. Worse, many of his victims are still unidentified. Between the early 1970s and&nbsp;2005, Little allegedly took the lives of more than 90 women across 19 states. He lived a nomadic lifestyle and chose women who he thought wouldn&rsquo;t be missed. It wasn&rsquo;t until a multi-agency task force connected Little to numerous outstanding cold cases that anyone had any idea just how prolific he was as an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/worst-serial-killers/tool100" target="_blank">American serial killer</a>.&nbsp;

On October 6, 2019, the FBI announced that law enforcement was able to <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/samuel-little-most-prolific-serial-killer-in-us-history-100619" target="_blank">verify 50 of Little&#39;s confessions</a>, marking him as the most prolific offender&nbsp;in history.&nbsp;

Little drew pictures&nbsp;of his victims and the FBI has made the drawings available to the public in case anyone recognizes the missing women. Three&nbsp;of the women have been identified from the drawings, but there are still countless victims who remain anonymous.&nbsp;If you recognize any of the women in Samuel Little&#39;s drawings, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or submit at tip at&nbsp;<a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/" target="_blank">tips.fbi.gov</a>.

This Serial Killer Drew Portraits Of His Unidentified Victims, And The FBI Wants You To See Them

Samuel Little's Drawings Of His Unidentified Victims

Stefanie Hammond

Memes

Whether you&#39;re a Bernie Bro, part of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/andrew-yang-celebrity-supporters/calistylie?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">the Yang Gang</a>, or a fan of Mayor Pete, one thing that you&#39;ll be able to appreciate are the memes that have been started by the helter skelter that is the Race for the 2020&nbsp;campaigns for&nbsp;<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/2020-democratic-candidates/sammy-leary?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Democratic Presidential candidates</a>. Here&#39;s a collection of the most hilarious memes that have been made from some of the most noteworthy moments in each candidate&#39;s campaign. Enjoy!

The Funniest Memes That Started With The Democratic National Presidential Candidates

Josh Gu

First Ladies

If <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst">the Greatest US Presidents</a> have basically been America's democratic dads, then certainly <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-loved-first-ladies-in-us-history">the Most Loved First Ladies </a>have been the civic moms diligently cutting the crusts off a fussy public's peanut butter and jelly policy sandwiches. POTUS has been getting all the glory since George Washington, but don't forget that Georgie never would've been a position to kick King George III's British butt if Martha hadn't married him years earlier, giving him access to money and status.So let's get down to brass tacks and give the first ladies the credit they're damn well due. For all the vain posturing of the average president, you just know many of these political alpha dogs weren't calling as many shots as they'd like the American populace to think. Those shots were being called by their wives.So which first ladies were actually in charge of the executive branch? Vote below, since it's not like any of these women got to be a on a ballot.

Which First Ladies Do You Think Were Really In Charge?

Person

Tucker DeSaulnier

Mysteries

Beginning in December 2016, a CIA agent stationed at the US Embassy in Havana began showing signs of a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/history-of-dancing-plague/genevieve-carlton">mysterious illness</a> that affected his hearing and vision. As more agents at the embassy began <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/unsolved-medical-mysteries/tracey-graham">falling ill</a>, the term “Havana Syndrome” was born. Since then, US diplomats, spies, and officials across the globe have experienced the syndrome, which often starts as an intense ringing in the ears.Government agencies have speculated that Havana Syndrome was nothing more than <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/mass-hysteria-in-history/kellen-perry">mass hysteria</a>, while medical personnel wondered if those who fell ill were suffering from concussions. Despite a great deal of <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/diseases-science-cant-explain/laura-allan">research</a> into the phenomenon, what - or who - causes Havana Syndrome is not publicly known.

What Causes The Bizarre Illness Known As 'Havana Syndrome'? The FBI Wants To Know

The History Of Havana Syndrome, Explained

Patrick Thornton

Lists about how famous actors, actresses, athletes, etc. spent their time after school, between classes, and on the field. 

Celebrity Extracurriculars

Pop Culture

The role of class president is important at any school, and the celebrities on this list have all held the office at some point in their education. Several famous actors, musicians, and politicians were elected class president. Some of these celebrities were elected class president during their time in high school, while others were class president during college. One famous actor maintained the position of class president for his entire high school career.Who is the most famous person who was class president? Halle Berry tops our list. She&nbsp;was class president at Bedford High School, where she was also a cheerleader and prom queen. During her time at Commack High School, Rosie O'Donnell was class president, homecoming queen, prom queen, and class clown. Hillary Rodham Clinton was elected senior class president at Wellesley College.&nbsp;Several famous men were also class president, and Charles Grodin was even elected class president every year that he attended high school.Do you think that being class president helped to prepare these celebrities for future successes? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

26 Celebrities Who Were Class President

Sure, nobody actually&nbsp;wants&nbsp;to be the vice president. Shows&nbsp;like&nbsp;Veep&nbsp;and&nbsp;House of Cards&nbsp;have entire seasons built around vice presidents hating their job and doing everything they can to ascend to the &quot;real&quot; presidency.

That&#39;s why, on the surface,&nbsp;asking who your favorite&nbsp;fictional vice president is&nbsp;(or honestly real vice president) is kind of like asking who the greatest superhero sidekicks are&nbsp;- it can be hard to remember characters who aren&#39;t the main star. But that doesn&#39;t mean there aren&#39;t dozens of examples of awesome vice presidents&nbsp;in movies and on TV. We already mentioned&nbsp;Veep&nbsp;and&nbsp;House of Cards, but shows like&nbsp;West Wing&nbsp;and&nbsp;24&nbsp;also include complicated, interesting vice presidents. With so many great characters, some funny and some dramatic, it&nbsp;comes as no surprise that this list features many fictional VPs who eventually assume the role&nbsp;of POTUS.

Be sure to vote up the best fictional vice presidents and&nbsp;which characters had the highest approval rating. Don&#39;t see your favorite character? Add them!

The Greatest Fictional Vice Presidents

The Greatest Fictional Vice Presidents In TV & Film, Ranked

There are few topics more divisive than politics. No matter how good someone's intentions may be, voicing a political opinion, especially in this era of social media where commenters can hide behind their anonymity, can <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/times-artists-updated-their-own-work/lauren-glen">result in massive backlash</a>.&nbsp;That backlash is often magnified when it is a celebrity who decides to wade into the political arena. Reactions can vary from the celebrity being mocked, to getting called entitled, self-centered or tone deaf, to being told to keep quiet or “stay in your lane." Sometimes they will even be labeled as anti-American or receive death threats.And if they do an about face and apologize for, rescind, or reverse their original comments, they can receive criticism for that as well, as these are often viewed very cynically as an attempt to protect the person's career and/or specific project that he might currently be promoting.Here are a few of the many celebrities <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/misunderstood-celebrity-scandals/donn-saylor">who have become embroiled in controversy</a> for wading into the world of international politics.&nbsp;

Times Celebrities Waded Into International Politics - And Received Backlash For it

TGWrites

The FBI is an organization that doesn't screw around. When you're a bad guy who causes enough trouble, you can forget about the police -- the FBI is after your ass. If that's the case, you should be scared. FBI training is intense, and goes above and beyond any military basic training program out there. The FBI big wigs aren't looking for foot soldiers. They want intelligent, creative, efficient officers willing to work within the system to protect the American people. Training for that takes commitment, patience, and motivation. The FBI training academy is a hardcore place, meant to provide the most realistic training possible to prepare their future special agents for cases in the field. You'll be tested in firearms, investigative techniques, hostage situations, and even paperwork. All of them are equally important, and all of them are parts of an FBI agent's every day job. So, if you're thinking of becoming part of the bureau, read up on these FBI agent requirements and find out if you're tough enough to join.

What It's Like to Train with the FBI

Aaron Edwards

Cenk Uygur and his Young Turks network have made it quite clear that they aren't excited about the possibility of a <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-asktrump-tweets-092115/mike-rothschild?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Donald Trump</a> presidency. That said, on the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/tags/ranker-podcast?ref=internalCrossLinking_tag">Ranker Podcast</a>, Cenk made a list of the realistic possibilities he thinks could be Donald Trump's vice presidential pick. As Cenk acknowledges on the podcast, once the Republican National Convention hits, it may not matter. For now, though, his list of serious contenders cuts through the chatter of <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-most-ridiculous-political-pundits?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">political pundits</a> and gets right the heart of Trumps running mate decision.Enough of the banter, let's get rankin'!

Cenk Uygur on Donald Trump's Potential VP Picks

Tune in the Young Turks HERE

Daniel Kohn

Politics lists at Ranker - The ultimate source for hundreds of politics lists and rankings

Politics lists on Ranker

Everything you didn't know about the so-called leaders of the free world, from their favorite foods to their pets' names.

U.S. Presidents

World Leaders

The worst U.S. presidents of all time, measured by their negative impact on the nation, its citizens health and happiness, and its future prosperity. (In some cases -&nbsp;such as the popular selections of Warren G. Harding and Richard Nixon -&nbsp;the negative view of the president and his administration is due to various scandals and perceived corruption within its ranks. Nixon remains the only president to step down from the office amid&nbsp;threats of impeachment.)

Much of a president&#39;s job -&nbsp;including serving as the figurative head of the American state and setting the nation&#39;s general legislative and diplomatic agenda -&nbsp;is sort of intangible and hard to evaluate in strict &quot;good vs. bad&quot; terms. This makes any list of the &quot;best&quot; or &quot;worst&quot; US presidents essentially subjective, and though there were administrations with a significant series of positive or negative outcomes, it&#39;s rarely clear just how much these had to do with the person in office and how many were simply due to accidents of fate or circumstance. Nonetheless, in particularly extraordinary cases -&nbsp;such as the administration of Abraham Lincoln, which kept the nation intact during the Civil War crisis, or the administration of Andrew Johnson immediately after that threatened the entire success of the Reconstruction project -&nbsp;it is clear which presidents did an overall good or bad job.

So who were the worst presidents of all time? We&#39;re ranking them here, based on your votes! When you&#39;ve had enough political negativity, be sure to check out Ranker&#39;s ultimate uplifting presidential list: <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-u-s-presidents-from-best-to-worst" target="_blank">The Best US Presidents</a>.

Warren G. Harding

The Worst U.S. Presidents

Top 44 Worst Presidents: List of Failed U.S Administrations

Ranker Community

The Greatest United States Presidents in history, ranked from best to worst. Who&#39;s the greatest US&nbsp;president? Anyone can vote on or make their own version of this collaborative list of the men who shaped American policy - a fascinating insight into all the US Presidents and how their presidencies were perceived. Who were the best presidents? We expect this list of the Chief Executives to change over time as history&#39;s perceptions also change.

And be sure to check out Ranker&#39;s ultimate list of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/the-10-worst-u-s-presidents">Worst-Ever US Presidents</a> as well, for comparison&#39;s sake.

Lyndon Johnson

The Greatest US Presidents Of All Time

US President

History

List of the Greatest Minds of All Time, throughout history. This list represents the most influential thinkers across various disciplines, ranked in a way that represents the power of their ideas and their impact on the world. The wisest men and women include <a href="/list/top-philosophers-ever-/jedralski">top philosophers,</a> physicists, <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/notable-poet_s)/reference">famous poets</a>, thinkers, teachers, physiologists, artists, inventors, engineers, <a href="/list/the-most-irreplaceable-ceos-in-the-world/ready-to-startup">the most irreplaceable CEOs in the world</a>, economists and politicians and those whose talents span across many fields of study.This list takes a historic perspective, so the greatest thinkers who are included on this list come from many different eras. The greatest minds of the 21st century may be quite different from great geniuses from the distant past, but each person should be judged within the context of the time that they were living. For example, inventing a new type of telephone in 2013 would not qualify one as &quot;the most brilliant mind of all time,&quot; but in 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell first patented the telephone, it was an act of genius not seen before. See Also: <a href="/crowdranked-list/the-most-influential-people-of-all-time">The Most Influential People of All Time.</a>

Isaac Newton

The Greatest Minds of All Time

Greatest Minds of All Time |  List of Genius Thinkers in History 

Walter Graves

Because of the internet&#39;s existence, nobody is safe and nothing is sacred, so here are the 16 daughters of notable politicians who have brought the drama. Some are fairly innocent, while others have good reason for being so controversial. To be fair, children of politicians can oftentimes find themselves in the limelight just as often as their parents when when they stray from being the perfect child. Paparazzi, news reporters, and entertainment TV love to jump at any chance they get to dog on these kids. Nevertheless, some of these politician&#39;s daughters were certainly up to no good, as you&#39;ll see from some of the stories below.&nbsp;

People are always searching for pics of Jenna Bush nude or Jenna Bush naked... that&#39;s just one example. When it comes to politics, everybody is fair game!