He was a saviour of the Union and an emancipator for the slaves. However, just as astonishing was his rise to the top-notch position and his eventual governance, his death was equally bewildering as he became the first U.S President ever to be assassinated. Though in his life Abraham Lincoln has been felicitated with no awards and honors, as there did not exist any awards then, he has till date retained a spot in the Top Three Presidents since 1940s. As for the presidential ranking polls conducted since 1948, Lincoln has been rated at the very top in the majority of polls.