Roosevelt was born on October 11, 1884 in New York City to a politically prominent family. In 1905, she married her distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
After her husband was stricken with polio in 1921, Eleanor Roosevelt became increasingly active in politics. She promoted women’s political engagement, playing a leadership role in several organizations, including the League of Women Voters and the Women’s Trade Union League. Her activities were extensively covered in the media in the 1920s, making her publicly recognizable.
Roosevelt grew to more importance after her husband became president of the United States. She became the most politically active and influential first lady in history, using the position to advance many of her progressive and egalitarian goals. She traveled the nation extensively, visiting relief projects, surveying working and living conditions, and reporting to the president on her observations.
After President Roosevelt’s death in 1945, Eleanor Roosevelt continued in her public life. President Truman appointed her to the United Nations. She served as Chair of the Human Rights Commission. She worked tirelessly to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on December 10, 1948.
Eleanor Roosevelt died on November 7, 1962, and is buried alongside her husband on their estate at Hyde Park.
