Top 10 Forgettable Presidents

Presidents Day is typically associated with two titans of the American presidency — George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. But what of the lesser men who have passed through the Oval Office? Today we stop to remember 10 of the 44 presidents who history typically leaves out.

Martin Van Buren

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Brady-Handy Studio / Corbis

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8th president, 1837-1841

Making himself nearly disappear completely from the history books was probably not the trick that the "Little Magician" Martin Van Buren had in mind, but his was the first truly forgettable American presidency.

Van Buren was largely done in by an economic crisis brought on by banks offering easy credit while benefiting from little or no central regulation. (Sound familiar?) The President's extravagant lifestyle made him an easy scapegoat for political opponents, and the ensuing economic crisis overshadowed his deft handling of early sectional tensions. He was soundly defeated by William Henry Harrison in 1841.

—By Dan Fletcher

See pictures of how people are cashing in on President Obama.

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