It's Presidents Day. More importantly, it's Presidents Day during a national election year. This is a perfect time to use the Internet to learn more about the American presidency and the people who have served as the leaders of our nation.

Here are a few of the best sites to visit if you want to learn more about the nation's presidents and the presidency in general:

Presidents of the U.S.

www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents

Presidential facts and biographies. Search for a president by name or date or simply browse the list. Numerous photos and links. You also can learn more about the nation's vice presidents and first ladies. A good, authoritative reference site and starting point.

POTUS

www.ipl.org/div/potus

From the Internet Public Library site, a great overview and reference collection of facts and links for each president of the United States (POTUS). Also featured: Election returns, links to authoritative biographical sites and links to historic documents related to each president.

American president

millercenter.virginia.edu/academic/americanpresident

A scholarly, indepth examination of every president, from the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia. This is the online equivalent of a huge print reference book featuring just about everything you'd want to know about the presidents. Authoritative, well researched - an excellent Web site resource.

Presidential debates

www.debates.org/pages/debtrans.html

From the Commission on Presidential Debates, transcripts of televised debates between presidential candidates going back to the Kennedy-Nixon debates of 1960. Also featured: Very brief summaries of other presidential debates going back to the Lincoln-Douglas meetings of 1858. A good reference source - makes for interesting reading.

American experience

www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents

Online complement to the PBS "American Experience" series on the presidents. Nice, crisp overviews of each president. A great starting point to learn more and a great stopping point to get a general sense of the nation's presidents.

Inaugural addresses

www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/presiden/inaug/inaug.htm

A collection of every presidential inaugural address from George Washington to George W. Bush.

Home of heroes

www.homeofheroes.com/presidents/inaugural/index.html

In addition to every inaugural address, you can download a free, printable book version of presidential biographies and facts. The book is available in either a PDF or Word document format. Check it out.

Presidential graves

www.presidentsgraves.com

The Web site's creator has apparently visited every gravesite of the presidents, taking photos at each location and, where possible, photos at birth places and homes of the presidents. The author also offers interesting anecdotes related to his trips. A very interesting site with a personal touch.

Presidential voices

www.lib.msu.edu/vincent/presidents

What did Benjamin Harrison, Teddy Roosevelt or Grover Cleveland sound like? We see them and others in silent films and photos. But few people alive today can remember the distinctive voices of presidents earlier than Franklin Roosevelt. Thanks to the Vincent Voice Library, you can listen to American presidents from George W. Bush back to Benjamin Harrison. You'll be surprised at how many of the voices don't match the images of the presidents. Check it out.

The other presidents

library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312172/early.html

www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A4350610

www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/582763/posts

www.snopes.com/history/american/hanson.asp

Depending on how you choose to interpret the term and role, there were seven to 14 men prior to George Washington who served as "president." These were the leaders of the Continental Congress before, during and after the Revolutionary War and the presidents under the Articles of Confederation. In reality, this is all about dissecting terminology - the first president of our existing form of government in the true meaning of the term "president of the United States" is, indeed, Washington. Still, these sites offer interesting information on early American leaders prior to the American presidency before it became the American presidency under the U.S. Constitution. Interesting footnote history, trivia and general conversation fodder.

(Keith Darnay is the webmaster and designer for bismarcktribune.com. His Web site, featuring this column going back to 1995, is at www.darnay.com.iec.)