How to Memorize the Presidents in Order (Fast)

7 min read · FlashDeck

The best way to learn how to memorize the presidents in order is to stop treating it as one list of 47 and break it into chunks of five, each with a short, ridiculous story built from the names. Learn one chunk a day, link each chunk to a big event, and drill it with cards that test you in order and out of order. Most people can lock in the whole list in under two weeks this way, with a few minutes a day.

If you keep losing the thread somewhere around Fillmore and Pierce (everyone does), FlashDeck turns your list into cards and keeps bringing back the exact spots you miss: Build my study plan.

Break the list into chunks

Quick facts first. As of 2026, there have been 47 presidencies but 45 people, because two presidents served non-consecutive terms: Grover Cleveland (22nd and 24th) and Donald Trump (45th and 47th). That's a favorite trivia question, so lock it in now.

Your brain handles small groups much better than long lists. Chunks of five also give you built-in checkpoints: the 5th, 10th, 15th and so on president. If someone asks "who was 32nd?", you jump to the chunk starting at 31 and count one forward.

Here are the chunks:

A story for each chunk (easy way to remember the presidents in order)

Each story uses sounds from the names. They're meant to be silly. Silly is memorable; sensible is forgettable.

Chunk 1 (1–5): "Washington Ate Jelly, Made Muffins"

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe. Picture George Washington in an apron making jelly muffins. Two M's at the end: Madison, then Monroe (alphabetical, which helps).

Chunk 2 (6–10): "A Jacked Van Hits Traffic"

Adams (John Quincy, the son), Jackson, Van Buren, Harrison (William Henry), Tyler. Picture a buff, jacked van stuck in traffic. Harrison is famous for serving only about a month, so the van barely moves before it stops.

Chunk 3 (11–15): "Poke Tay, Fill Pierce's Bucket"

Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan. Picture poking someone named Tay, then filling a bucket with pierced water balloons. This is the chunk most people fumble, so give it extra reps.

Chunk 4 (16–20): "Lincoln Jogs, Grants Hay to Garfield"

Lincoln, Johnson (Andrew), Grant, Hayes, Garfield. Picture Lincoln jogging in his top hat, handing hay to Garfield the orange cartoon cat. Random? Yes. That is why it sticks.

Chunk 5 (21–25): "Arthur Cleaned, Harry Cleaned Again, Mac Watched"

Arthur, Clean-land (Cleveland), Harrison (Benjamin), Clean-land again, McKinley. Cleveland shows up twice with Benjamin Harrison sandwiched in the middle. Fun bonus: Benjamin Harrison was William Henry Harrison's grandson.

Chunk 6 (26–30): "Teddy Tossed Wilson a Hard Cooler"

Teddy Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge. Picture Teddy Roosevelt yeeting a heavy cooler to Wilson. Taft is the "tossed."

Chunk 7 (31–35): "Hoover Rolled a Truck into Ike's Kennel"

Hoover, Roosevelt (Franklin), Truman, Ike (Eisenhower's nickname), Kennedy. A vacuum cleaner rolling a truck into a dog kennel. Unhinged. Unforgettable.

Chunk 8 (36–40): "Johnson Nixed a Ford Car Rental"

Johnson (Lyndon B.), Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan. Reads almost like a normal sentence, which makes it easy.

Chunk 9 (41–45): "Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump"

The recent ones are the easiest because you've heard them. The only trap is the Bush sandwich: George H.W. Bush (41), Clinton (42), George W. Bush (43). Dad, then Clinton, then son.

Chunk 10 (46–47): Biden, Trump

Short chunk. Trump's second non-consecutive term makes him the 47th president.

Songs vs stories (how to memorize the presidents in order song)

There are plenty of presidents songs on YouTube and TikTok, and they can absolutely work, especially if music sticks for you. Here's the honest tradeoff:

• Songs are great for reciting from the start. If you can sing it, you can list it.
• Stories and chunks are better for random access. "Who was 28th?" is hard with a song (you have to sing from the top). With chunks, you jump to chunk 6 and count.

The best of both: use a song for fun and stories for testing. Whatever you pick, you still need to check yourself on a schedule, or it fades.

Drill with cards (best way to memorize the presidents in order)

Here's the problem with lists. You'll feel solid on chunks 1, 4 and 9, and completely shaky on 3 and 5, but you won't know which specific names are slipping until someone quizzes you. And "I'll review in a few days" rarely happens.

FlashDeck handles that part. Paste the chunk table above (or your class list) into FlashDeck, and it makes a card for each fact. Each day it shows only the cards you're about to forget, and anything you tap Missed it on comes back tomorrow. Build my study plan

Cards to make

Mix these three types:

• Number → name: "Who was the 16th president?" (Lincoln)
• Name → number: "What number president was Polk?" (11th)
• Next in line: "Who came after Taylor?" (Fillmore)

The "next in line" cards are the secret weapon. They train the order itself, not just trivia.

Link presidents to key events

Anchors make the list mean something, which is huge for APUSH and history class. One event per chunk is enough:

• Chunk 1: Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase (1803).
• Chunk 2: Jackson and the Indian Removal Act (1830).
• Chunk 3: Polk and the Mexican-American War.
• Chunk 4: Lincoln and the Civil War.
• Chunk 5: McKinley and the Spanish-American War (1898).
• Chunk 6: Wilson and World War I.
• Chunk 7: F.D. Roosevelt, the New Deal and World War II.
• Chunk 8: Nixon and Watergate.
• Chunk 9: G.W. Bush and 9/11.

If you're studying for AP Gov too, the same approach works on the required Supreme Court cases, and geography folks can use it for the 50 states and capitals.

Test yourself

A 10-day plan that fits in a few minutes a day:

• Days 1–10: learn one new chunk per day (chunk 10 is tiny, so day 10 is easy).
• Every day: run cards for all chunks learned so far, and focus on misses.
• Day 5 and day 10: write the whole list from memory on paper. Circle every gap.

Try this now: without looking, write chunk 3. If you got Polk, Taylor, Fillmore, Pierce, Buchanan, you're already ahead of most people.

Know all 47 presidencies by next week

That's how to memorize the presidents in order: chunks of five, a silly story each, one event per chunk, and cards that test you in order and out of order. Paste the list or your history notes into FlashDeck, get cards in seconds, and review about ten minutes a day.

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FAQ

What is the fastest way to memorize the presidents in order?

Break them into chunks of five and make a short, silly story from the names in each chunk. Learn one chunk a day and review all previous chunks daily. Most people can learn the full list in about ten days with a few minutes a day.

How many presidents have there been?

As of 2026, there have been 47 presidencies but 45 different people. Grover Cleveland (22nd and 24th) and Donald Trump (45th and 47th) each served two non-consecutive terms.

Is there a song to memorize the presidents in order?

Yes, there are many presidents songs online, and they're great for reciting the list from the start. For answering "who was 28th?" quickly, chunks and stories tend to work better. Using both is fine.

How do I remember the presidents in order for APUSH?

Link each chunk of presidents to one big event, like Polk and the Mexican-American War or Wilson and World War I. That turns a list into a timeline, which is what APUSH questions test.

How do I stop mixing up presidents with the same name?

Put them in context: John Adams is 2nd and his son John Quincy Adams is 6th; William Henry Harrison is 9th and his grandson Benjamin Harrison is 23rd; George H.W. Bush is 41st and his son George W. Bush is 43rd. Make a card for each pair.