Franklin D. (Franklin Delano) Roosevelt

Born in Hyde Park, New York, in 1882, Franklin Delano Roosevelt studied at Groton and Harvard and later attended Columbia Law School before entering politics. He served in the New York State Senate, worked as Assistant Secretary of the Navy during World War I, and in 1928 was elected governor of New York.

Roosevelt became the 32nd president of the United States in 1933, at the height of the Great Depression. Through the programs and reforms known as the New Deal, his administration expanded the federal government’s role in relief, recovery, and economic reform. He is also remembered for his fireside chats, which helped many Americans feel directly connected to their president.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Roosevelt led the nation through most of World War II and worked closely with Allied leaders on the shape of the postwar world. Elected to an unprecedented four terms, he died in office in 1945, leaving behind one of the most consequential presidential legacies in U.S. history.