Image: Shutterstock
About This Quiz
Remembering all the presidents of the US of A is pretty easy, but do you remember the people they beat during their respective elections? Take this quiz to see how much you know.
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 1960?
William T.G. Morton
Thomas Edison
Adolf Hitler
Richard Nixon
Capturing the Democratic nomination at the age of 43, John F. Kennedy went on to win the election, defeating Richard Nixon. The rise in ownership of television sets by American citizens meant that 88 percent of the population was able to view televised debates between Kennedy and Nixon and this greatly shaped the end result for voters.
Wiki commons
Who did this president beat in 1988?
Charles Darwin
Muhammad
James Watt
Michael Dukakis
The 1988 presidential election saw a strong attacking platform by George H.W Bush that was able to demolish the hopes of a poorly-run Dukakis campaign. Bush’s campaign staged a series of highly efficient attacks, most notably the ‘Tank Ride’ ad, which showcased Dukakis as weak and being soft on defense, helping to solidify the Bush campaign as the dominant force.
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1976?
He was unopposed
John Calvin
Gerald Ford
The 38th presidential election saw dark horse, Jimmy Carter, former governor of Georgia, winning against incumbent President Gerald Ford from Michigan.
Gregor Mendel
Advertisement
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 2008?
Muhammad
Albert Einstein
John McCain
John Mc. Cain secured the nomination as the Republican candidate. Democratic party nominee Barack Obama would go on to win the presidency, making him the first African American man to do so in history. President Obama’s decisive victory ensured his position for two consecutive terms.
Karl Marx
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1789?
Christopher Columbus
He was unopposed
Running unopposed, George Washington received the post of first President of the United States. His preeminence was established among the Founding Fathers through his service as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army throughout the duration of the American Revolutionary War, solidifying him as the best candidate to hold the post of President of the Unites States.
Martin Luther
Napoleon Bonaparte
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1848?
Sigmund Freud
Martin van Buren
Victory was assured for the Whig party by Zachary Taylor when he defeated Democratic candidate Lewis Cass and former President Martin Van Buren, candidate of the newly-formed Free Soil Party. This was the first election where all voting took place on the same day in every state and election day was statutorily on a Tuesday. Focusing on issues of slavery and whether it should be banned in newly-acquired territories took the focus away from American war efforts and gave Taylor a solid campaign on which to run.
Isaac Newton
He was unopposed
Advertisement
Wiki commons
Who did this president beat in 1964?
John Dalton
Barry Goldwater
Following the assassination of John F. Kennedy, incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson came into office. Johnson won the popular vote by 61.1 percent. Republican candidate Barry Goldwater had the challenge of unifying his party and did not receive much support and this made him very unpopular with voters.
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1856?
Millard Fillmore
Democratic candidate James Buchanan won the 18th presidential election against Millard Fillmore. Fillmore's party endorsed anti-migration and anti–Catholicism, ignoring issues of slavery, whiles Buchanan forwarded the legality of slavery.
Muhammad
Galileo Galilei
He was unopposed
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 1984?
Michael Faraday
John Calvin
Walter Mondale
Incumbent President Ronald Reagan went up against Democratic candidate Walter Mondale, winning by a landslide, claiming 49 out of 50 states. Reagan campaigned on economic recovery and his presidency was seen as restoring prestige on a national level.
Sigmund Freud
Advertisement
Wiki Commons
Who did this president beat in 1880?
Karl Marx
Albert Einstein
Joseph Stalin
Winfield Hancock
This election recorded one of the highest voter turnouts for a presidential election, it pitted Republican nominee James Garfield against Democratic candidate Winfield Hancock. Both campaigns were fought over issues of the Civil War. The issue of the immigration of Chinese nationals was also of great concern. Capturing this presidential election marked the sixth consecutive win for the Republican party and the second-longest winning streak in the U.S elections
Wiki commons
Who did this president beat in 1972?
George McGovern
Democratic nominee George McGovern was handicapped in the 47th presidential elections because most voters saw him as an outsider, coupled with the fact that he suffered limited support from his party and the scandal involving his choice for vice president forced him to withdraw. This helped Republican nominee Richard Nixon win the presidency by a landslide.
He was unopposed
Christopher Columbus
Simon Bolivar
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1928?
Henry Ford
Joseph Stalin
Galileo Galilei
Alfred Smith
After the decline by President Calvin Coolidge to run for a second term, Herbert Hoover was nominated as the Republican candidate to face off against Democratic Candidate Al Smith. Victory came to Hoover due to the population associating the economic boom of the 1920’s with the Republican party. Helping his campaign gain further traction was the anti-Catholic, anti- prohibitionist stance and corruption of Tammany Hall that was linked to Smith.
Advertisement
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 1932?
William Shakespeare
Herbert Hoover
The 37th presidential election pitted Republican candidate Herbert Hoover against Democratic nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt and took place during the time of the Great Depression. Most Americans were reluctant to remain with the incumbent President Herbert Hoover. With a strong leadership style, Roosevelt was able to unite all wings of the Republican party, crushing all cultural issues and dominating the election with a landslide victory margin of 17.4 percent.
James Watt
William T.G. Morton
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1992?
George H W Bush
The recession of the economy and the breaking of his campaign pledge against raising taxes, led to the downfall of the Republican President George H. W. Bush by Democratic Governor Bill Clinton. This win for Clinton made him the first Democratic candidate to win without capturing Texas.
Isaac Newton
John Locke
James Watt
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1900?
Isaac Newton
He was unopposed
William Jennings Bryan
This rematch of the 1896 elections matched Republican incumbent President William Mc Kingley against Democratic nominee William Jennings Bryan. A strong victory was secured for McKinley as a result of the stability in economic prosperity and the victory of the Spanish American War for ownership of the Philippines.
John Locke
Advertisement
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1832?
Henry Clay
Andrew Jackson of the Democratic Party defeated Henry Clay of the National Republican Party. He would go on to secure his spot as president for two consecutive terms, due to his popularity with the American public. Jackson's campaign saw enormous turnout by the public, despite heavy attacks by bank-funded opposition. Jackson convinced the ordinary American that he was guarding them against the privileged elite.
He was unopposed
John Dalton
William Shakespeare
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1980?
Martin Luther
Adolf Hitler
Jimmy Carter
Former Hollywood actor and Governor of California, Republican Ronald Reagan, beat incumbent President Jimmy Carter due in part to the worsening economy and high unemployment rate, coupled with rising inflation. Reagan, 69, became the oldest person to be president of the United States.
Gregor Mendel
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1948?
Muhammad
Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Dewey
After the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, incumbent President Harry Truman became the Democratic nominee and he successfully won against Republican candidate Thomas Dewey. The majority of the polls indicated that Dewey would be the successful candidate for the 41st presidential elections. This victory by Truman was one of the greatest upsets in a presidential election in American history.
John Calvin
Advertisement
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1804?
Henry Ford
Napoleon Bonaparte
He was unopposed
Charles Pinckney
Incumbent Democratic-Republican President Thomas Jefferson went up against Federalist Charles Pinckney, war hero of the Revolutionary War and former Ambassador to France. Jefferson defeated Pinckney. His 45.6 percent victory remains the highest popular vote margin in a presidential election when there were numerous other party candidates.
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1956?
Alexander Fleming
Martin Luther
Adlai Stevenson
The 43rd presidential election saw the re-election of incumbent president Republican Dwight Eisenhower. Voters focused on his integrity, family virtues and likeability. The country enjoyed peace due to Eisenhower's involvement in ending the Korean War and few voters doubted his leadership style.
Alexander Graham Bell
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 2004?
Thomas Edison
Charles Darwin
Louis Pasteur
John Kerry
Securing another four years as president, Republican George W. Bush beat Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 55th presidential elections. This marked the first time a President who had previously lost the popular vote in his first election, won the popular vote in his re-election.
Advertisement
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 1800?
Martin Luther
He was unopposed
John Adams
Facing off for the second time saw Jefferson amassing 73 electoral votes while Adams collected 65. However, both Jefferson and Aaron Burr received 73 electoral votes and the presidency had to be decided by the House of Representatives. It took 36 ballots to decide that Thomas Jefferson would become president.
Karl Marx
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1892?
Benjamin Harrison
This rematch election featured former Democratic President Grover Cleveland against incumbent Republican President Benjamin Harrison. Cleveland’s win over incumbent Harrison made him the only US president in history to be elected a second nonconsecutive term as president. He also holds the distinction of being the first Democrat to be nominated three times by his party.
William T.G. Morton
William Shakespeare
John Dalton
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1824?
Karl Marx
Henry Clay
The only presidential election in US history that was decided upon by the House of Representatives under the 12th Amendment. This was due to the fact that neither candidate was able to secure a majority of electoral votes. Clay was accused of selling his support to Adams to gain the office of secretary of state. Accusations by Andrew Jackson claimed that Clay signed ‘a corruption bargain’ to ensure Adams's victory.
He was unopposed
Christopher Columbus
Advertisement
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1852?
Charles Darwin
Winfield Scott
The 17th presidential election saw incumbent presidential Winfield Scott, who succeeded the presidency after the death of Millard Fillmore, going up against dark horse Franklin Pierce, the candidate for the Democratic party. The Whig party suffered an overwhelming loss and this made many abandon the party. Pierce defeated Scott in what was, at the time, one of the United States's largest electoral victories.
He was unopposed
Alexander Fleming
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1968?
Hubert Humphrey
Former Vice President Richard Nixon of the Republican party came up against Democratic candidate and incumbent Vice President Hubert Humphrey. This election was set against the backdrop of the assassination of civil rights movement leader Martin Luther King Jr. Nixon’s campaign on restoration of law and order during one of the most tumultuous elections years in the U.S. secured his victory over Humphrey.
Joseph Stalin
Sigmund Freud
Adolf Hitler
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 2000?
William Shakespeare
Al Gore
The 44th presidential election pitted Republican George W. Bush, eldest son of the 41st president George H.W Bush, against Democratic nominee Al Gore, former senator of Tennessee. Both parties addressed issues of budget, tax relief and social insurance, with Bush narrowing out Gore by a .009% margin and a mere 537 vote lead.
Oliver Cromwell
Karl Marx
Advertisement
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 2012?
Mitt Romney
Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama and running mate, Vice President Joe Biden were re-elected in 2012. While Mitt Romney of Massachusetts campaigned on domestic issues, job recovery and the federal budget, he was ultimately defeated by Obama’s popularity and ability to secure the majority vote.
Muhammad
He was unopposed
Martin Luther
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1872?
He was unopposed
Simon Bolivar
Horace Greeley
Seeking his second term in office, incumbent President Ulysses Grant had to defeat Liberal Republican candidate Horace Greeley, who died before the electoral college casts its votes. This election marked the only instance where a major contender died during the electoral process.
Sigmund Freud
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 2016?
Hillary Clinton
Former reality TV star and New York businessman Donald Trump defeated 69-year-old former first lady, senator and secretary of state Hilary Clinton by securing 270 electoral votes. Clinton's campaign was marred by FBI investigation into her use of private email server and putting US secrets at risk during her stint as secretary of state.
Galileo Galilei
Albert Einstein
Mike Pence
Advertisement
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1860?
Stephen Douglas
This election served as the reason for the outbreak of the American Civil War. Issues of expansion of slavery and slave owners's rights dominated in the 1850s. The newly-formed Republican party nominated Abraham Lincoln, who had no southern support but managed to win the majority of states and electoral votes over Northern Democratic candidate Stephen Douglas.
He was unopposed
Albert Einstein
James Watt
YouTube
Who did this president beat in 1944?
Thomas Dewey
Seeking his fourth term in office, incumbent President Franklin Roosevelt went up against Republican Thomas Dewey. This election was set during World War II, which was having successful results for the U.S. This kept American voters confident in Roosevelt who won the election. However, his ill health would claim his life and he was replaced by Vice President Harry Truman.
Oliver Cromwell
Napoleon Bonaparte
Alexander Graham Bell
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1920?
Thomas Edison
Charles Darwin
James Cox
Newspaper publisher and Senator Warren Harding was the nominee for the Republican party, he was pitted against newspaper publisher and Ohio Governor James Cox. Harding’s campaign strategy was to ignore Cox and focus rather on returning normalcy and campaigning against the former president, Woodrow Wilson. This strategy gained Harding the win by a landslide.
Oliver Cromwell
Advertisement
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1840?
Oliver Cromwell
Martin van Buren
President Martin Van Buren's attempt to be re-elected after a period of massive economic depression was crushed by war hero William Henry Harrison of the Whig Party. This unique election comprised of electors casting votes for four men who had been or would become president. The four selected were: President Martin Van Buren, President-elect William Henry Harrison, Vice President elect John Tyler and James K.Polk.
Alexander Graham Bell
He was unopposed
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1864?
Albert Einstein
George McClellan
Incumbent Republican President Abraham Lincoln was re-elected for a second term when he defeated Democratic candidate George McClellan. McClellan campaigned for bringing an end to the American Civil War, but lost by a landslide to Lincoln who had gained victory in the Battle of Atlanta, securing himself more than 400,000 of the popular vote.
John Dalton
William Shakespeare
Wiki commons
Who did this president beat in 1836?
Daniel Webster
After the retirement of incumbent president Andrew Jackson, support was given to incumbent vice president Martin Van Buren, who defeated Daniel Webster. Webster was one of the nominees of the Whig Party. The Whig Party elected four candidates in hopes of defeating the popular Democrat, Martin. However, this was a failed attempt and Van Buren won with 170 electoral votes.
He was unopposed
Gregor Mendel
James Watt
Advertisement
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1940?
Galileo Galilei
John Dalton
Wendall Wilkie
During the aftermath of World War II in Europe, this presidential election pitted incumbent Franklin Roosevelt against Republican Wendall Wilkie, who advocated against Roosevelt’s failed promises to end the Depression. Roosevelt's promises to end involvement in foreign wars, if re-elected, coupled with his solid support from labor unions, minority voters and the Democratic south guaranteed his win.
Martin Luther
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1796?
Thomas Jefferson
The 1796 election was the first presidential election where a president and a vice president were elected from opposing parties. John Adams from the Federalist party beat Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican ticket by 71 to 68. The policy at the time stated that the next person with the highest number of votes became vice president. This meant that Jefferson would become vice president despite being in the opposition. This circumstance led to the sanction of the 12th Amendment.
He was unopposed
Isaac Newton
Christopher Columbus
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1916?
Charles Evans Hughes
Incumbent President Woodrow Wilson's re-election was the first time that a Democratic nominee won two consecutive terms since 1832. This election marked the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment and granted women the right to vote. Republican candidate Charles Hughes offered up a decent opposition but was defeated by almost 600,000 votes.
He was unopposed
William T.G. Morton
Karl Marx
Advertisement
n/a
Who did this president beat in 1904?
Michael Faraday
Alton Parker
Succeeding to the presidency after the assassination of William McKinley, candidate incumbent Theodore Roosevelt represented the Republican party and went up against Democratic nominee Alton B. Parker. Both candidates campaigned on the same issues and there was little difference on their stance, leaving the successful winning of the presidential election to be judged based on personalities. President Theodore Roosevelt became the first to ascend to the presidency at his own accord, after the death of his predecessor.
Sigmund Freud
Louis Pasteur
Wiki Commons
Who did this president beat in 1868?
John Locke
Oliver Cromwell
Horace Seymour
The first presidential election to be held after the American Civil War saw Democratic candidate and Civil War General Ulysses Grant come up against Horace Seymour. However, Seymour’s popularity was just as high as Grant's and the two candidates had a very powerful race for the popular vote. In the end, Grant became president by gaining the vote among the newly-freed men in the South.
Adolf Hitler
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1808?
Alexander Fleming
John Locke
Simon Bolivar
Charles Pinkney
Democratic-Republican candidate James Madison swept votes gaining him the Presidency over Federalist candidate Charles Pinckney. The strongest opposition to Madison’s campaign came from the fellow members of his party. George Clinton and James Monroe both challenged Madison’s title of leadership prior to the general election. This election was the first instance in U.S history where the new president was selected but the incumbent Vice President continued to serve.
Advertisement
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1876?
William Shakespeare
William T.G. Morton
Muhammad
Samuel Tilden
One of the most controversial elections in U.S history, its results remain one of the most disputed, In the end, an informal resolution was decided upon, It was known as ‘the compromise of 1877.’ It awarded all 20 electoral votes to Hayes and the Republicans agreed to remove federal troops from the south. This ushered in the reconstruction Era of the United States.
Wiki Commons
Who did this president beat in 1936?
Joseph Stalin
Alexander Fleming
John Calvin
Alfred Landon
Holding the title of the most lopsided presidential election in history, the 39th presidential election pitted Democratic and incumbent President Franklin Roosevelt against Republican nominee Alfred Landon. Matters of economics, unemployment benefits and social securities were defining factors for the American people and increased Roosevelt's popularity. who was continually lobbying for his “New deal economic policy" to be passed in Congress.
WikiCommons
Who did this president beat in 1816?
Henry Ford
He was unopposed
Rufus King
After the completion of the two-term presidency of James Madison, his secretary of state, James Monroe, was elected as the Democratic-Republican candidate. He had to face off Federalist nominee, Rufus King, who he defeated by an overwhelming majority. The end of the War of 1812 and the peace that ensued were credited to the Democratic-Republican party, which made Monroe’s victory easy.
Michael Faraday
Advertisement
Wiki commons
Who did this president beat in 1924?
Alexander Fleming
John Locke
Robert Lafollette
Incumbent President Calvin Coolidge was elected after defeating Progressive party candidate Robert Lafollette. Coolidge's successful run as president after the death of Warren G. Harding, gave him a vast popularity with voters. He was credited with a booming economy and avoiding foreign crisis. LaFollette gained support from liberals and conservatives but the stability of Coolidge's leadership style proved too much for a change in power.
Charles Darwin
You Got:
/46
Shutterstock