Franklin D. Roosevelt

The 32nd President of the United States who guided the nation through the Great Depression with his New Deal programs and led the country to victory in World War II.

This biography of Franklin D. Roosevelt helps you learn English through real historical stories.

born1882

died1945

nationalityAmerican

known forThe New Deal and leading the US through World War II

fieldpolitics and crisis leadership

Key Takeaways

He is the only US President in history to be elected to four terms
He guided the United States through the Great Depression with his sweeping 'New Deal' economic reforms
He contracted polio in 1921 and remained paralyzed from the waist down for the rest of his life
He led the nation to victory in World War II, transforming America into an 'arsenal of democracy'

Life Timeline

1882

Born in Hyde Park, New York

1921

Contracted polio, leaving his legs permanently paralyzed

1932

Elected as the 32nd President of the United States

1933

Launched the 'New Deal' to combat the Great Depression

1941

Delivered the 'Infamy Speech' after Pearl Harbor, entering WWII

1945

Died in office just weeks before the Allied victory in Europe

Biography Reading: Franklin D. Roosevelt

background

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, often referred to by his initials FDR, was born in 1882 into a wealthy and prominent family in New York. His promising political career was nearly derailed in 1921 when he contracted polio, an illness that left him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Displaying extraordinary resilience, he painstakingly taught himself to walk short distances with iron braces and a cane. This profound personal struggle cultivated a deep sense of empathy for the suffering of others, a quality that would define his historic presidency.

achievement

Elected as the 32nd President of the United States in 1932 during the darkest days of the Great Depression, FDR immediately set to work to restore national confidence. In his inaugural address, he famously declared, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." He quickly implemented his sweeping "New Deal" programs, a series of unprecedented economic reforms, public works projects, and financial regulations designed to provide relief for the unemployed and recovery for the economy, fundamentally expanding the role of the federal government.

impact

Before the nation could fully heal, FDR faced a second existential crisis: World War II. Following the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, he adeptly transitioned the United States into an "arsenal of democracy," mobilizing the country's vast industrial might to defeat the Axis powers. As the only U.S. president ever elected to four terms, his unparalleled leadership guided America through two of the greatest crises of the 20th century. Exhausted by the immense burden of wartime leadership, he died in April 1945, just weeks before the final Allied victory in Europe.