PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT FACTS

Franklin D. Roosevelt Introduction

When it comes to a list of best U.S. Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt ranks near the very top. He competently led the United States through two of its greatest crisis; the Great Depression and World War 2. He served as President for 4,422 days making him the longest serving President of the United States. He was born into wealth and privilege but would end up being a champion of the common people. The list of interesting facts below serves as a synopsis of his life including his presidency. These facts include information about what obstacles he overcame, how he became the U.S. President, and why he is one of the best presidents in United States history.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidency Facts

Franklin D. Roosevelt was the 32nd President of the United States of America.
His term as president was from March 4th 1933 up until his death on April 12th of 1945.
He is the only U.S. president in history to be elected four times.
He was a member of the Democratic Party.
FDR's Vice Presidents were John Nance Garner (1933 - 1941), Henry A. Wallace (1941 - 1945), and Harry S. Truman (1945).
Upon taking office he implemented a series of programs through laws and executive orders known as the "New Deal". The purpose of these programs was to help the ailing US economy break out of the Great Depression.
On December 8th of 1941, the day after the Japanese attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor, FDR addresses a joint session of Congress calling December 7th a "date which will live in infamy" after which Congress declared war on Japan and Germany.
In 1942, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. This order allowed for the internment of over 100,000 people of Japanese heritage living in the U.S. into designated military areas (camps). Thousands of loyal U.S. citizens were held in these camps; this was a horrible injustice.
During World War 2 Roosevelt was an effective leader and along with the other leaders of the Allied countries defeated Japan, Germany, and the other Axis countries.

Franklin D. Roosevelt's Life Facts

He was born on January 30th of 1882 in Hyde Park, New York.
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt was Franklin D. Roosevelt's fifth cousin.
One of the great influences in Franklin Roosevelt's life was a priest named Endicott Peabody who was the headmaster of the Groton School which FDR attended in 1896. Peabody encouraged public service and helping the needy. He officiated at Roosevelt's wedding and at the private religious ceremonies before FDR's inaugurations. FDR explains his importance in his life with this quote "As long as I live his influence will mean more to me than that of any other people next to my father and mother."
After graduating from the Groton School Roosevelt attended Harvard University where by all accounts he was an average student.
He married his fifth cousin Eleanor Roosevelt on March 17th of 1905.
FDR attended Columbia University Law School; he passed the bar exam in 1907.
In 1910 he was elected as a New York state senator.
In 1914 he ran for the U.S. Senate seat for New York but lost the election.
In the presidential election of 1920 FDR ran as the vice-presidential candidate with James M. Cox's as the candidate for president. They lost the election.
He was stricken with polio in 1921 permanently losing the use of his legs. Leg braces allowed him to walk short distances and he took great measures not be seen in public in his wheelchair.
Determined not to let the devastating effects of polio ruin his political career he carried on and greatly increased his political national exposure which would result in his being elected U.S. President in 1933.
On April 12, 1945 Franklin Delano Roosevelt died from a massive cerebral hemorrhage at his retreat in Georgia leaving his Vice President Harry S. Truman to become the next R President of the United States.