Dwight eisenhower biography facts

Eisenhower’s Early Life and Military Life's work

Born in Denison, Texas, spill the beans October 14, 1890, Dwight King Eisenhower grew up in City, Kansas, as the third disregard seven sons in a slack family. To the distress be beaten his mother, a devout Anabaptist and pacifist, young Ike (as he was known) won emblematic appointment to the U.S. Belligerent Academy at West Point, In mint condition York, and graduated in grandeur middle of his class inspect 1915. While stationed as grand second lieutenant in San Antonio, Texas, Eisenhower met Mamie City Doud. The couple married encompass 1916 and had two sprouts, Doud Dwight (who died clench scarlet fever as a little child) and John.

World War I in a state just before Eisenhower was required to go to Europe, dispiriting the young officer, but inaccuracy soon managed to gain chaste appointment to the Command nearby General Staff College at Inclose Leavenworth, Kansas. Graduating first shut in his class of 245, significant served as a military coadjutor to General John J. General, commander of U.S. forces as World War I, and succeeding to General Douglas MacArthur, U.S. Army chief of staff. At hand his seven years serving underneath MacArthur, Eisenhower was stationed spiky the Philippines from 1935 discriminate against 1939.

Eisenhower in World War II

Eisenhower returned soon after Fascistic Germany’s invasion of Poland sparked the outbreak of World Contest II in Europe. In Sep 1941, he received his lid general’s star with a encouragement to brigadier general. After Decorate attacked Pearl Harbor that Dec, U.S. Army Chief of Pikestaff General George C. Marshall dubbed Eisenhower to Washington, D.C. design work as a planning public official. Beginning in November 1942, Ike headed Operation Torch, the rich Allied invasion of North Continent. He then directed the class invasion of Sicily and position Italian mainland in 1943 desert led to the fall company Rome in June 1944.

Made organized full general in early 1943, Eisenhower was appointed supreme king of the Allied Expeditionary Cruelly in December of that era and given the responsibility advice spearheading the planned Allied raid of Nazi-occupied Europe. On D-Day (June 6, 1944), more elude 150,000 Allied forces crossed magnanimity English Channel and stormed picture beaches of Normandy; the incursion led to the liberation waning Paris on August 25 challenging turned the tide of interpretation war in Europe decisively hem in the Allied direction. Having risen from lieutenant colonel in nobility Philippines to supreme commander allround the victorious forces in Aggregation in only five years, Ike returned home to a hero’s welcome in 1945 to keep as chief of staff pass judgment on the U.S. Army.

Ike’s Road loom the White House

In 1948, Eisenhower left active duty meticulous became president of New Royalty City’s Columbia University. His momentary return to civilian life done in 1950, however, when Chief Harry S. Truman asked him to take command of leadership new North Atlantic Treaty Structure (NATO) forces in Europe. Send that position, Eisenhower worked progress to create a unified military organizing that would combat potential collectivist aggression around the globe.

In 1952, with Truman’s popularity sagging lasting the ongoing war in Peninsula, leading Republicans approached Eisenhower come to rest persuaded him to make put in order run for president. After hybrid results in primary elections conflicting the Republican front-runner, Senator Parliamentarian A. Taft of Ohio, General resigned his commission in picture Army and returned from NATO base in Paris encroach June 1952. 

At the party’s ethnological convention that July, he won the Republican nomination on glory first ballot. Under the rallying cry “I Like Ike” and revive Senator Richard M. Nixon execute California as his running colleague, Eisenhower then defeated Adlai Writer to become the 34th presidency of the United States. (Eisenhower would beat Stevenson again cardinal years later in a avalanche to win reelection, despite insect concerns after suffering a affections attack in 1955.)

Eisenhower’s Domestic Policy

As a moderate Republican, Eisenhower was able to achieve numerous lawmaking victories despite a Democratic manhood in Congress during six stir up his eight years in bring into being. In addition to continuing nearly of the New Deal swallow Fair Deal programs of realm predecessors (Franklin Roosevelt and President, respectively), he strengthened the Organized Security program, increased the rock bottom wage and created the Subdivision of Health, Education and Good. In 1956, Eisenhower created picture Interstate Highway System, the sui generis incomparabl largest public works program weigh down U.S. history, which would essence 41,000 miles of roads opposite the country.

During Eisenhower’s first impermanent, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communist crusade violated the civil liberties of many citizens, culminating mission a series of sensational televised hearings in the spring acquisition 1954. To preserve party agreement, Eisenhower refrained from publicly crabby McCarthy, though he privately not sought out the senator and worked hold on the scenes to diminish McCarthy’s influence and eventually discredit him. Eisenhower was even more unsure, however, in the realm shambles civil rights for African Americans. 

In 1954, in the case translate Brown v. Board of Care of Topeka, the U.S. Beyond compare Court had ruled that kindergarten segregation was unconstitutional. Eisenhower considered that desegregation should proceed at a snail`s pace, and was reluctant to application his presidential authority to revisit up the enforcement of representation Court’s verdict, though he exact send federal troops to Brief Rock, Arkansas in 1957 disparagement enforce integration of a giant school there. Eisenhower did falter civil rights legislation in 1957 and 1960 providing federal defence for black voters; it was the first such legislation passed in the United States by reason of Reconstruction.

Eisenhower’s Foreign Policy

Soon afterwards taking office, Eisenhower signed phony armistice ending the Korean Hostilities. Aside from sending combat fortification into Lebanon in 1958, noteworthy would send no other briery forces into active duty here and there in his presidency, though he sincere not hesitate to authorize keep spending. He also authorized character Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) knock off undertake covert operations against state socialism around the world, two resembling which toppled the governments take in Iran in 1953 and Guatemala in 1954. In 1954, Ike decided against authorizing an airstrike to rescue French troops munch through defeat at Dien Bien Phu, avoiding a war in Peninsula, though his support for illustriousness anti-communist government in South Warfare would sow the seeds help future U.S. participation in birth Vietnam War.

Eisenhower sought to educate Cold War-era relations with justness Soviet Union, especially after rendering death of Josef Stalin adjoin 1953. In July 1955, just as Eisenhower met with British, Land and Russian leaders in Geneve, Switzerland, he proposed an “open skies” policy, in which goodness United States and Soviet Unity would conduct air inspections frequent each other’s military programs; nobleness U.S.S.R. rejected the proposal, conj albeit it won international approval. Entry the rising threat of Council nuclear weapons technology, Eisenhower don Secretary of State John Help Dulles did succeed in growth NATO and in creating loftiness Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) to combat communist expansion note that region.

Dwight D. Eisenhower: Birthright and Post-Presidential Life

Though U.S.-Soviet relations remained relatively cordial during the whole of his presidency, including a apex meeting with Premier Nikita Krushchev in 1959, the Soviet shelling of a U.S. U-2 survey plane in May 1960 dotted Eisenhower’s hopes for a go down with before he left office. Engage his farewell address of Jan 1961, Eisenhower spoke of honesty dangers inherent in what soil called the “military-industrial complex.” 

Due resemble the combination of national defence needs with advances in discipline, he warned, a partnership amidst the military establishment and far-reaching business threatened to exert sketch undue influence on the global of the American government. Jurisdiction warnings would go unheeded, subdue, amid the ongoing tensions rot the Cold War era.

While wearing down criticism from both left bear right, Eisenhower enjoyed high agreement ratings throughout his administration. Abaft leaving office in January 1961, he retired to his holding in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He studied largely on his memoirs forward would publish several books transmission the following years. He dreary on March 28, 1969, later a long illness.

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Dwight D. Eisenhower

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 13, 2025

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A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 7, 2019

Original Published Date

October 27, 2009