fDR

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly called FDR, was an American statesman and the 32nd president of the United States (1933–1945). A Democrat, he led the United States through the Great Depression and much of World War II. He was born in Hyde Park, New York, on January 30, 1882, and died on April 12, 1945, at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia. He was married to Eleanor Roosevelt, and they had six children.

Roosevelt trained as a lawyer and pursued political office in New York. He was elected governor of New York (1929–1932). In 1921 he contracted poliomyelitis, which left him with paralysis in the legs; he used a wheelchair in public and gradually returned to politics, building a national profile that led to his 1932 presidential victory.

As president, he implemented the New Deal, a broad set of relief and reforms in response to the Depression. Major measures included the creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Social Security Act, and numerous public works programs. He also reshaped labor relations through the Wagner Act and supported agricultural and banking reforms. In foreign affairs, he led the United States toward wartime alliance, aided Allies before and after entering World War II, and helped lay groundwork for the United Nations. He also faced the controversial attempt to expand the Supreme Court in 1937 and helped mobilize Allied support after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Roosevelt's presidency remains debated: supporters credit him with expanding the role of the federal government in the economy and welfare, while critics argue the New Deal increased government power and debt. He won four terms but died in office in 1945, leaving a lasting impact on American political and social policy.