Who are the best U.S. presidents of the past 50 years? The presidents listed here are among the greatest leaders of the free world in modern history and are some of the best recent presidents. The men listed here are those who served as president since the early 1960s, so while Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower might have been excellent, they don't count -- at least, as far as this list is concerned. You can always go vote for these presidents (and more) on this list of the overall greatest U.S. presidents of all time.