President: Abraham Lincoln

Wife: Mary Todd (1818-1882), on November 4, 1842

Kids: Robert Todd Lincoln (1843-1926); Edward Baker Lincoln (1846-50); William Wallace Lincoln (1850-62); Thomas "Tad" Lincoln (1853-71)

Pets: Jack the turkey; goats named Nanny and Nanko; ponies; cats; dogs; pigs; a white rabbit

Bio: Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) was the 16th president of the United States. "Abe" Lincoln was born into poverty on a farm near Hodgenville, Ky., on Feb. 12, 1809. He was mainly self-educated, but sometimes was able to attend classes in a log schoolhouse two miles from home. He had a hard childhood, filled with farm chores and few friends.

As a young man, he grew tall and strong, and became very interested in learning. He traveled over the countryside to borrow books. Among those he
read were Robinson Crusoe and Aesop's Fables. The Bible was the only book is family owned.

In 1834, Lincoln was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, and he was re-elected in 1836, 1838, and 1840. His political party was called "The Whigs." He had been studying law, and he obtained a lawyer’s license in 1836. It was around this time that he garnered the nickname, "Honest Abe," because he always worked hard to pay off his debts. On Nov. 4, 1842, Lincoln married Mary Todd. Brought up in Lexington, Ky., she had an excellent education and cultural background.

In 1861, Lincoln became president with almost 2 million votes. The government was in chaos at that time because the Southern states were trying to secede from the Union. Strongly opposed to slavery, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. In January, 1865, the 13th Amendment, forever abolishing slavery, was completed.

In April 1865 the President was shot by the actor John Wilkes Booth while attending a performance at Ford's Theater in Washington. He died at 7:22 the following morning, April 15, 1865. After lying in state in the Capitol, his body was taken to Springfield, Ill., where he was buried in Oak Ridge Cemetery.