Franklin D. Roosevelt Biography

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known by his initials FDR, was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States. A Democrat, he was elected four times and served from March 1933 to his death in April 1945. He was a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic depression and total war. A dominant leader of the Democratic Party, he built a New Deal Coalition that realigned American politics after 1932, as his New Deal domestic policies defined American liberalism for the middle third of the 20th century.

With the bouncy popular song "Happy Days Are Here Again" as his campaign theme, Roosevelt defeated incumbent Republican Herbert Hoover in November 1932, at the depth of the Great Depression. Energized by his personal victory over polio, FDR used his persistent optimism and activism to renew the national spirit. Assisted by key aide Harry Hopkins, he worked closely with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in leading the Allies against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan in World War II. Source: Wikipedia

Franklin D. Roosevelt Timeline

• 1921-08-10
  FDR stricken with polio at summer home on Canadian Is of Campobello
• 1932-07-01
  NY Gov FDR nominated for president at Dem Convention in Chicago
• 1932-07-02
  FDR makes 1st presidential nominating conventional acceptance speech
• 1932-09-24
  NY Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt visits LA
• 1932-11-08
  Franklin Roosevelt (D) elected 32nd President for 1st time
• 1933-02-15
  Pres-elect Franklin Roosevelt survives assassination attempt
• 1933-03-04
  FDR inaugrated as 32nd pres, pledges to pull US out of Depression & says "We have nothing to fear but fear itself"
• 1933-03-05
  FDR proclaims 10-day bank holiday
• 1933-03-06
  FDR declares a nationwide bank holiday
• 1933-03-09
  Congress is called into special session by FDR, & began its "100 days"
• 1933-03-12
  FDR conducts his 1st "fireside chat"
• 1933-03-22
  FDR makes wine & beer with up to 3.2% alcohol legal
• 1933-04-19
  FDR announces US will leave gold standard
• 1933-05-18
  Tennessee Valley Act (TVA) Act signed by FDR, to build dams
• 1933-05-21
  Mount Davidson Cross lit by FDR via telegraph
• 1933-06-02
  FDR authorizes 1st swimming pool built inside the White House
• 1933-11-08
  FDR creates Civil Works Administration
• 1933-12-04
  FDR creates Federal Alcohol Control Administration
• 1934-01-31
  FDR devalus dollar in relation to gold at $35 per ounce
• 1934-04-28
  FDR signs Home Owners Loan Act
• 1934-06-26
  FDR signs Federal Credit Union Act, establishing Credit Unions
• 1934-07-10
  1st sitting US president to visit South America, FDR in Colombia
• 1934-07-11
  FDR became 1st US president to travel through Panama Canal
• 1935-05-27
  Supreme Court declares FDR's Natl Recovery Act unconstitutional
• 1935-06-16
  US Congress accepts FDR's "New Deal"
• 1935-06-28
  FDR orders a federal gold vault to be built at Fort Knox, Kentucky
• 1935-07-05
  FDR signs National Labor Relations Act
• 1935-08-31
  FDR signs an act prohibiting export of US arms to belligerents
• 1935-09-30
  The Hoover Dam, astride the border between the U.S. states of Arizona and Nevada, is dedicated by FDR
• 1935-11-14
  FDR proclaims Philippine Islands a free commonwealth
• 1936-02-29
  FDR signs 2nd neutrality act
• 1936-08-24
  FDR gives FBI authority to pursuit fascists & communists
• 1936-09-11
  FDR dedicates Boulder Dam, now known as Hoover Dam
• 1936-10-28
  FDR rededicates Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary
• 1936-11-03
  President FDR (D) wins landslide victory over Alfred M Landon (R)
• 1937-02-05
  FDR proposes enlarging Supreme Court, "court packing" plan failed
• 1937-05-01
  FDR signs act of neutrality
• 1937-07-22
  Senate rejects FDR proposal to enlarge Supreme Court
• 1937-09-28
  FDR dedicates Bonneville Dam on Columbia River (Oregon)
• 1937-10-02
  FDR visits Grand Coulee Dam construction site in Washington State
• 1938-07-03
  President Franklin Roosevelt dedicates the Eternal Light Peace Memorial and lights the eternal flame at Gettysburg Battlefield.
• 1938-08-18
  FDR dedicates Thousand Islands Bridge connecting US & Canada
• 1939-04-30
  NBC/RCA 1st public TV demo with FDR at opening of NY World's Fair
• 1939-06-11
  King & Queen of England taste 1st "hot dogs" at FDR's party
• 1939-09-05
  FDR declares US neutrality at start of WW II in Europe
• 1939-09-08
  FDR declares "limited national emergency" due to war in Europe
• 1939-11-15
  FDR lays cornerstone of Jefferson Memorial in Wash DC
• 1940-07-18
  Democratic Convention nominates FDR for a 3rd term
• 1940-08-17
  FDR & Canadian PM William M King agree to joint defense commission
• 1940-09-16
  FDR signs Selective Training & Service Act (1st peacetime draft)
• 1940-11-05
  Pres FDR (D) wins unprecedented 3rd term beating Wendell Willkie (R)
• 1940-11-06
  Franklin Roosevelt re-elected US President
• 1941-01-06
  President Franklin Roosevelt's "4 Freedoms" speech (freedom from speech, worship, want and fear) during US State of Union address
• 1941-03-11
  FDR signs Lend-Lease Bill (lend money to Britain)
• 1941-05-27
  FDR declares state of emergency due to Germany's sinking of Robin Moor
• 1941-06-19
  US President Franklin Roosevelt signs Two Ocean Navy Expansion Act
• 1941-06-25
  FDR issues Executive Order 8802 forbidding discrimination
• 1941-07-24
  FDR demands Japanese troops out of Indo-China
• 1941-07-25
  FDR bans selling benzine/gasoline to Japan
• 1941-08-10
  FDR & Churchill's 2nd meeting at Placentia Newfoundland
• 1941-08-14
  US President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issue the joint declaration that later becomes known as the Atlantic Charter
• 1941-09-11
  FDR orders any Axis ship found in American waters be shot at on sight
• 1942-01-15
  FDR asks commissioner to continue baseball during WW II
• 1942-02-08
  Congress advises FDR that, Americans of Japanese descent should be locked up en masse so they wouldn't oppose the US war effort
• 1942-02-19
  FDR orders detention & internment of all west-coast Japanese-Americans
• 1942-03-19
  FDR orders men between 45 & 64 to register for non military duty
• 1942-06-13
  FDR creates Office of War with Elmer Davis as head
• 1942-07-30
  FDR signs bill creating women's Navy auxiliary agency (WAVES)
• 1942-10-03
  FDR forms Office of Economic Stabilization
• 1942-11-07
  First US president to broadcast in a foreign language-FDR in French
• 1942-12-04
  FDR orders dismantling of Works Progress Administration
• 1943-01-10
  1st US pres to visit a foreign country in wartime-FDR leaves for Casablanca, Morocco
• 1943-01-14
  FDR & Winston Churchill confer in Casablanca concerning WW II
• 1943-02-09
  FDR orders minimal 48 hour work week in war industry
• 1943-04-08
  U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, in an attempt to check inflation, freezes wages and prices, prohibits workers from changing jobs unless the war effort would be aided thereby, and bars rate increases to common carriers and public utilities.
• 1943-04-13
  FDR dedicates Jefferson Memorial
• 1943-06-10
  FDR becomes 1st US president to visit a foreign country during wartime
• 1943-06-10
  FDR signs withholding tax bill into law
• 1943-07-28
  Pres FDR announces end of coffee rationing in US
• 1943-11-22
  FDR, Churchill & Chiang Kai-shek meet to discuss ways to defeat Japan
• 1943-11-28
  FDR, Churchill & Stalin met at Tehran to map out strategy
• 1943-12-04
  -Dec 6] 2nd conference of Cairo: FDR, Churchill & Turkish pres Inonu
• 1943-12-24
  FDR appoints Gen Eisenhower supreme commander of Allied forces
• 1944-06-22
  US President Franklin Roosevelt signs "GI Bill of Rights" (Servicemen's Readjustment Act)
• 1944-07-11
  Franklin Roosevelt announces that he will run for a fourth term as President of the United States.
• 1944-07-20
  US President FDR nominated for an unprecedented 4th term at Dem convention
• 1944-09-11
  FDR & Churchill meet in Canada at 2nd Quebec Conference
• 1944-11-07
  FDR wins 4th term in office, defeating Thomas E Dewey (R)
• 1944-11-19
  World War II: U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt announces the 6th War Loan Drive, aimed at selling $14 billion USD in war bonds to help pay for the war effort.
• 1945-01-20
  Franklin D. Roosevelt sworn-in for an unprecedented 4th term as US President
• 1945-02-11
  Yalta agreement signed by FDR, Churchill & Stalin
• 1945-03-01
  FDR announces success of Yalta Conference
• 1945-04-15
  FDR buried on grounds of Hyde Park home

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