Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945) was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States for an unprecedented twelve years. Born into a wealthy New York family, Roosevelt was educated at Harvard University and Columbia Law School before entering politics. His early career included service as Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson and election as Governor of New York. In 1921, Roosevelt contracted polio, which left him paralyzed from the waist down, yet he overcame this disability to become one of America's most dynamic leaders. Elected president during the depths of the Great Depression in 1932, Roosevelt implemented the New Deal—a comprehensive program of federal relief, recovery, and reform that fundamentally reshaped American government and society. His leadership during World War II helped establish the United States as a global superpower. Roosevelt's political innovation, optimism, and pragmatism made him one of the most consequential presidents in American history, and his legacy continues to shape American politics and policy.