30 Interesting Facts about Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt, often called FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 to 1945. He is best known for leading the country during the Great Depression and World War II.

He created the New Deal, a series of programs to help Americans find jobs and support those in need. FDR was the only U.S. president elected to four terms and is remembered for his strong leadership and efforts to help the country through difficult times.

Interesting Facts about Franklin D. Roosevelt:

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, in Hyde Park, New York.
2. He was a distant cousin of President Theodore Roosevelt.
3. FDR married his fifth cousin once removed, Eleanor Roosevelt.
4. He attended Harvard University and Columbia Law School.
5. FDR was diagnosed with polio in 1921, which left him paralyzed from the waist down.
6. He served as the Governor of New York from 1929 to 1932.
7. Roosevelt was elected president four times, the only president to do so.
8. He led the United States through the Great Depression with his New Deal programs.
9. The New Deal included programs like Social Security, the CCC, and the WPA.
10. FDR’s famous quote, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” was from his first inaugural address.
11. He created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to provide jobs for young men.
12. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act in 1935.
13. He established the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to create jobs.
14. FDR’s “fireside chats” were radio broadcasts that reassured and informed the American public.
15. He was in office when the United States entered World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
16. FDR delivered the “Day of Infamy” speech following Pearl Harbor, rallying the nation to war.
17. He helped form the Allies’ strategy alongside Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin.
18. FDR played a key role in the creation of the United Nations.
19. He signed the G.I. Bill in 1944, which provided benefits to returning World War II veterans.
20. Roosevelt’s face is on the U.S. dime.
21. He was instrumental in the development of the atomic bomb through the Manhattan Project.
22. FDR founded the March of Dimes to combat polio.
23. He implemented the Lend-Lease Act to support Allied nations before the U.S. entered WWII.
24. FDR appointed the first woman to a Cabinet position, Frances Perkins, as Secretary of Labor.
25. He delivered the Four Freedoms speech, outlining freedoms essential for all people.
26. FDR’s New Deal coalition helped shape American politics for decades.
27. He maintained a “Good Neighbor” policy towards Latin America.
28. FDR’s presidential library was the first to be built and is located in Hyde Park, New York.
29. Roosevelt was an avid stamp collector.
30. Franklin D. Roosevelt passed away on April 12, 1945, shortly before the end of World War II.