Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin D. Roosevelt, elected in 1932 amid the Great Depression, is the only president to win four terms and one of the most consequential in history.

His New Deal created Social Security, federal banking safeguards, jobs programs and sweeping economic regulation, redefining the role of the federal government. After Pearl Harbor in 1941 he led the United States through most of World War II, mobilizing the economy and forging the alliance that would defeat the Axis. He died in April 1945, weeks before victory in Europe, having reshaped both the nation and the presidency.

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