Author
Jim Tomlin has nearly 30 years of experience in journalism, having worked at such publications as the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturdays Down South and Saturday Tradition. He is a contributing writer and editor for BetVirginia.com.
Most Forgotten Presidents In U.S. History
There have been 47 presidents in American history (including two who are counted twice for non-consecutive terms). How many can you name?
President’s Day is Feb. 19, 2025. To celebrate, BetVirginia.com took a break from our Virginia sports betting coverage to find out which presidents are the most difficult for folks to remember. To measure this, we used the quiz website, Sporcle.com.
A question at the site asks, “Can you name the presidents of the United States of America?” and 14.9 million people have taken that quiz, trying to fill in the blanks within a set time limit. We determined the most forgotten presidents by quiz takers by the percentage of people who got each president right.
Top 10 Most Forgotten Presidents In U.S. History
Rank | President | Years | % Correct |
1 | Rutherford B. Hayes | 1877-1881 | 56.1% |
2 | Chester A. Arthur | 1881-1885 | 56.8% |
3 | Warren G. Harding | 1921-1923 | 57.8% |
4 | Franklin Pierce | 1853-1857 | 59.2% |
5 | Millard Fillmore | 1850-1853 | 59.8% |
6 | James Buchanan | 1857-1861 | 61.6% |
7 | Zachary Taylor | 1849-1850 | 65.7% |
8 | James Garfield | 1881-1881 | 65.9% |
9 | William McKinley | 1897-1901 | 66.2% |
10 | Martin Van Buren | 1837-1841 | 66.3% |
The state that allows legal operators to offer Virginia sportsbook promo codes has produced its share of U.S. presidents. In fact, eight men who had the nation’s highest office were born in the commonwealth, more than any other state.
They included four of the first five presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe. Later, Virginia was the birthplace of William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, John Tyler and the only one after the Civil War, Woodrow Wilson.
Most Often Forgotten Presidents
The quiz at Sporcle.com gives you 10 minutes to fill in the blanks for every president. There are two hints: The dates for each administration, and color-coded boxes for the eight presidents who died in office and the one who resigned (looking at you, Richard Nixon).
The hardest name for 14.9 million respondents to recall was Rutherford B. Hayes, who was president from 1877-81. He was named by 56.1% of those taking the quiz. His successor, Chester A. Arthur (the president from 1881-85), was second at 56.8% and the lone president in the top 10 who was elected during the 20th century, Warren G. Harding (1921-23) was third at 57.8%.
For recent results from another Sporcle quiz, check out our story about what big Virginia cities are most forgotten at BetVirginia.com.
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Most Forgotten U.S. President FAQs
According to data from Sporcle.com, the most forgotten United States President is Rutherford B. Hayes. Hayes was the 19th U.S. President elected and spent the years 1877-1881 in the White House. Prior to president, Hayes was the Governor of Ohio for three terms from 1867-1876.
William Henry Harrison, the ninth President of the United States, only lasted 31 full days in the White House and in his tenure. In 1841, on his 32nd day in office, Harrison contracted a cold and ultimately passed away due to pneumonia.
Some of the most forgotten presidents after Hayes are Chester Arthur (1881-85), Warren G. Harding (1921-23) and Franklin Pierce (1853-57).
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