Franklin D. Roosevelt was born.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt ( [ ˈroʊzəvəlt ] , his own pronunciation , or [ - en ˈroʊzəvɛlt ] January 30 , 1882 -- April 12 , 1945 ) , commonly known as FDR , was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945 . He is often rated by scholars as one of the three greatest U.S. Presidents , along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln . In the 1932 presidential election , Roosevelt defeated incumbent Republican president Herbert Hoover in a landslide to win the presidency . In March 1941 , Roosevelt , with Congressional approval , provided Lend-Lease aid to Britain and China .