Eleanor Roosevelt

Eleanor Roosevelt was the wife of the 32nd President of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Born in New York City on October 11, 1884, Eleanor Roosevelt, the niece of Theodore Roosevelt, was one of the most outspoken women in the White House. She married Franklin D. Roosevelt, her fifth cousin once removed, in 1905.

After her husband suffered a polio attack in 1921, Eleanor stepped forward to help Franklin with his political career. When her husband became president in 1933, Eleanor dramatically changed the role of the First Lady. Not content to stay in the background and handle domestic matters, she showed the world that the First Lady was an important part of American politics. She gave press conferences and spoke out for human rights, children's causes and women's issues, working on behalf of the League of Women Voters. She even had her own newspaper column, "My Day." She also focused on helping the country's poor, stood against racial discrimination and, during World War II, traveled abroad to visit U.S. troops.

Following her husband's death, Eleanor remained active in politics for the rest of her life. She encouraged the United States to join and support the United Nations and became one of its first delegates. She served as the first chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights, and oversaw the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Later she chaired the John F. Kennedy administration's Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. By the time of her death from cancer in 1962 at the age of 78, she was regarded as "one of the most esteemed women in the world." She was called "the object of almost universal respect" in her New York Times obituary.

A revolutionary First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most outspoken women to live in the White House. While she's had her share of critics, most agree that she was a great humanitarian who dedicated much of her life to fighting for political and social change. President Harry S. Truman later called her the "First Lady of the World" in tribute to her human rights achievements.

Eleanor was buried next to Franklin at the family compound in Hyde Park, New York.