How Much Do You Know About Franklin D. Roosevelt?

The history-making FDR was the first presidential nominee to give a speech directly after being nominated as a major party candidate — the start of the acceptance speech. FDR also became the first person to fly on an airplane to accept the party nomination when he flew to Chicago to address the Democratic National Convention in 1932. This speech is the earliest recorded mention of a “new deal” for America.

Not only were voters satisfied with FDR’s efforts to combat the Great Depression, he also enjoyed widespread exposure in American households thanks to his famous radio addresses. These factors, plus an uninteresting opponent in Kansas governor Alf Landon, helped FDR win 98.5% of electoral votes — the largest margin since the 1820 election, in which James Monroe ran without a major opponent.

In 1937, FDR was unhappy about the Supreme Court’s opposition to the comprehensive New Deal package — especially the dissolution of the National Recovery Administration (NRA), a centerpiece of his plans. After winning reelection in 1936, he unveiled a plan to expand the court. It was met with opposition by both the public and the court itself, and was never voted on in Congress.

The dog’s full name was “Murray the Outlaw of Falahill,” named after an “outlaw” from a small village in Scotland. FDR received Fala as a gift in 1940 and the dog went with him almost everywhere. After FDR’s death in 1945, Fala lived with Eleanor Roosevelt in New York. Fala is one of the most famous presidential pets in history, with memorials in both New York and Washington, D.C.

FDR greatly admired his older fifth cousin Theodore, who became President in 1901 at age 42 and served his second term while FDR was a student at Columbia Law School. Like his cousin, Franklin attended Harvard and began his political career in New York. Both men were distantly related to Eleanor Roosevelt, FDR’s future wife; when they wed in 1905, Theodore gave her away at the wedding.

FDR was an average student during his time at Harvard, but eagerly participated in extracurricular activities. Besides editing “The Harvard Crimson” student newspaper, he was also part of the Glee Club, Fly Club, Hasty Pudding, Signet Society, Yacht Club, and the Political Club, which he helped found. Other famous “Crimson” editors include John F. Kennedy, Pete Buttigieg, and Merrick Garland.

Although the presidential two-term limit wasn’t yet law, the tradition had been honored by FDR’s predecessors, beginning with George Washington. But in 1940, with America coming out of the Great Depression and World War II intensifying, Roosevelt made a compelling case for his third term. Congress passed the 22nd Amendment in 1947, formally limiting U.S. Presidents to two terms.

In the early 1940s, air travel was still relatively risky, and fatal accidents were not uncommon. Nevertheless, Roosevelt departed the White House at 10 p.m. on January 9, 1943, secretly chartering a plane to Casablanca, Morocco, to discuss wartime strategy with Winston Churchill. Due to refueling stops, the flight took over two full days — FDR didn’t arrive until the evening of January 14.

FDR took office in 1933, during one of the worst economic crashes in history. Beginning with the Emergency Banking Act, which helped stabilize the ongoing banking crisis, Roosevelt and Congress passed a series of reform bills to revive the economy. The program became known as the New Deal, and its success helped cement FDR as one of the most popular Presidents in history.

The term “fireside chat” was coined by Harold Butcher, a CBS station radio manager. The chats began in 1933 as a way for President Roosevelt to address the nation and discuss economic issues during the Great Depression, but they proved so popular that FDR continued them for over a decade, well into the 1940s as America was slowly pulled into World War II.