Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882 – April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, as well as the only one to have served more than two terms. His first two terms were centered on combating the Great Depression, while his third and fourth saw him shift his focus to U.S. involvement in World War II. A member of the Democratic Party, Roosevelt previously served in the New York State Senate from 1911 to 1913 and as the 44th governor of New York from 1929 to 1932.
Born into the prominent Delano and Roosevelt families in Hyde Park, New York, Roosevelt graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts. He was first elected to the New York State Senate in 1910, and served this seat before becoming the assistant secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson, holding this position from 1913 to 1920. Roosevelt was the running mate of James M. Cox on the Democratic ticket in the 1920 presidential election, which Cox lost to Republican nominee Warren G. Harding. In 1921, he contracted a paralytic illness that permanently paralyzed his legs. However, partly through the encouragement of his wife Eleanor, he returned to the public office upon being elected governor of New York in 1928, and during his tenure as governor, he promoted programs to combat the Great Depression. After receiving the Democratic nomination, Roosevelt defeated President Herbert Hoover in a landside victory in the 1932 presidential election.