Abraham Lincoln was the 16th president of the United States, from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War, defeating the Confederacy and playing a major role in the abolition of slavery. February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865; died at 56. Alive at the same time as Karl Marx, Leo Tolstoy, Charles Darwin, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Vincent van Gogh. Wiki link