Dwight D. Eisenhower
By Mikey Hustus & Krysta Porter
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States |
Dwight Eisenhower attended the West Point Military Academy in 1911 and graduated in 1915, ranking 61st out of 164 in his class. Eisenhower was the Allied Supreme Commander in the lead up to D-Day in 1944. He commanded the Allied forces as the General of the American Army, in the last counter-attack by the Germans in World War II, the Battle of the Bulge. He then when on to become the 34th President of the United States.
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Dwight Eisenhower as a young boy
Early LifeEisenhower was born On October 14 1890, in Texas to David Jacob Eisenhower and Ida Elizabeth Eisenhower. He was the third of seven boys and when he was four years old his 10 Month old brother Paul died of diphtheria. Upon graduation from high school in 1909 he began working at the Belle Springs Creamery with his father and uncle, he also started working as a fireman. He used the money he earned to pay his younger brother Edgar's college tuition. Eisenhower and his brother made a deal that they would each work, while the other was attending college, to help pay off the debts. But in 1911, he landed an appointment at West Point, where tuition was free. In 1915, He graduated from West Point and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, and later went on to attend the army's graduate school, where he graduated first in his class.
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Dwight D. Eisenhower in his General Uniform
Involvement In World War IIIn Eisenhower's early Army career, he served under the Generals John Pershing, Douglas MacArthur, and Walter Krueger. After Pearl Harbor he was called to Washington for a war plan assignment by General George Marshall. America was fighting the war on two fronts, Europe and Pacific. Eisenhower wanted to focus on defeating the Germans and Italians before turning the full force of the army on the Japanese. His argument for this promoted him to a Major General in March of 1942. He then commanded the Allied Forces in landing in North Africa, November 1942, and on D-Day in 1944, he was the Supreme Commander of the troops invading France. He commanded the Allied forces in the Battle of the Bulge, and then went on to be President from 1953 to 1961.
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Eisenhower on the Cover of Time Magazine November 1952
Presidency
In 1952 Eisenhower ran for President under the republican party, with the slogan "I Like Ike". Eisenhower chose California senator Richard Nixon as his running mate, and together they beat out Adlai E. Stevenson, the Democratic candidate by 424 electoral votes to 89. Eisenhower was elected as the 34th President on November 4th, 1952. In Eisenhower's first term of Presidency he continued the New Deals programs of FDR for his domestic policies. For his foreign policy Eisenhower focused on reducing Cold War tensions. Shortly before the election of 1956 Eisenhower suffered from a heart attack, but he was still renominated by the Republican Party for candidacy. He won with 457 electoral votes to 73. During his second presidency Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and set up a permanent Civil Rights Commission(CRC) and he also responsible for signing the bill to form the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA.
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Little Known Facts
- Dwight Eisenhower was on the cover of Time Magazine 17 times.
- Dwight Eisenhower was the Man of the Year twice, once in 1945, and once 1959
- Eisenhower was the first President of all 50 states
- He was the first President to appear on color television
- One of Eisenhower's grandchildren is named David, and is who Camp David is named after
- Both political parties wanted Eisenhower to run for president for them in 1948 but he turned both down to remain in the military
- Through Eisenhower's 35 years of duty he never once saw active combat
- Eisenhower is responsible for adding "Under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance
- Eisenhower's son married his Vice President, Richard Nixon's, daughter.
- Eisenhower was the only US President who served in both World War I and World War II
Links To More Information
TheWhiteHouse.Gov
Gives a brief history of Eisenhower's early life and reflects on his military career and career as the 34th President
Biography of Dwight Eisenhower
Full Biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower and links to Video about and Involving Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower: Life in Brief
Focuses mostly on Eisenhower's military career and Presidency
Gives a brief history of Eisenhower's early life and reflects on his military career and career as the 34th President
Biography of Dwight Eisenhower
Full Biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower and links to Video about and Involving Eisenhower
Dwight Eisenhower: Life in Brief
Focuses mostly on Eisenhower's military career and Presidency
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