RateItAll: The Opinion Network

Not only became president, but would be one of the most admired and respected presidents in U.S. history. Who knows what might have happened had someone else been president at the time he served in office. I do knock off one star, only because a person in Lincoln's time was judged more for that they did and their ideas, rather than their lack of education. Still, to essentially be self educated and become president, it is impressive.

Wow, I just cannot add a thing to this. Although, someone must not have liked him very much. He got shot.

Most commoners during the 19th Century did not go to college; in fact, it was n't until after the Second World War that college educations became more open to the public. Lincoln was remarkable for the fact that despite his frontier background, he managed to self-teach himself a variety of subjects, from the law to trigonometry. People back then were much more self-reliant.