Born: 1882, Hyde Park, NY
Died: 1945

Franklin Delano Roosevelt led America through some of its darkest hours. A cousin and admirer of Teddy Roosevelt, FDR became a New York State Senator, then Assistant Secretary of the Navy and finally the Democrats’ unsuccessful Vice-Presidential candidate in 1920. In 1921 he was crippled by polio, but after intensive therapy was able to walk with crutches. His vigor undimmed, he became New York Governor in 1928, then President.

Inaugurated at the height of the Depression, FDR inspired Americans with the words, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He launched the New Deal, instituting social security and unemployment benefits. His public works projects included the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the Works Progress Administration. His mobility hampered, he reached millions by radio in his “fireside chats” while his wife, Eleanor, tirelessly toured the country. FDR was re-elected in 1936, 1940 and 1944. In 1940, he responded to Hitler’s aggression in Europe by sending the British 50 destroyers in exchange for military bases, followed by massive “Lend-Lease” aid. On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and America entered World War II. With Stalin and Churchill, Roosevelt laid the groundwork for the post-war world, and the creation of the United Nations. But he did not live to see it, dying of a cerebral hemorrhage on April 12, 1945.

Thirty-Second President
Democrat