Roosevelt family facts: 7 stories even history buffs might not know

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a four-term President of the United States. He was the only one. He was also President during the Great Depression, and he instituted many programs that still exist today. Also, he was a wartime President, being President during World War II. His wife, Eleanor, was also very accomplished, even after he died in office.

Roosevelt and his wife were so accomplished that it was difficult to compile a list of 7 lesser-known facts, but we did. This list will be interesting to read and historically enlightening. These should be informative facts for the reader. Do you think it is possible to put together a list of lesser-known facts about Franklin Delano Roosevelt?

7 Lesser-Known Facts About the Roosevelts

The Roosevelt family is endlessly fascinating. There were two Presidents, Teddy and Franklin Delano, and Franklin’s wife, Eleanor, was very accomplished. There are some accomplished individuals, and their exploits are so noteworthy that it is difficult to come up with trivial knowledge about them. Nevertheless, we did. Here is the List, in somewhat chronological order.

Dutch

The Roosevelts are a very famous family. It is somewhat fortunate that the family emigrated to the United States, but when was that, and from where did they come? It was around 1649 that the family traveled from the Netherlands. They were named van Rosenvelt. However, their name was soon anglicized to the now familiar family name. Of note, a very early political office was held when Nicolas became an Alderman in the West Ward of New York City.

A Famous Funeral

Teddy Roosevelt attended Abraham Lincoln’s funeral. Thousands of Americans attended the funeral procession. He was just six years old when he looked down at the procession from the window of his New York City apartment. The event happened on  April 25, 1865. He was with his brother Eliot. There are a lot of similarities between Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Maybe the most striking is that Roosevelt was shot as well, though the bullet did not kill him. He was saved when the bullet hit a folded speech in his breast pocket.

Nobel Peace Prize

Teddy was the first United States president to win the Nobel Peace Prize. He won the award by negotiating and ending the Russo-Japanese War. Since then, three other American Presidents have won the Peace Prize. They are Woodrow Wilson in 1920, Jimmy Carter in 2002, and Barack Obama in 2009. Teddy Roosevelt won in 1906.

11 Presidents

Franklin was related to no fewer than 11 other presidents. They were:  John Adams, James Madison, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, William Howard Taft, and Teddy. With those kinds of bloodlines, it is not surprising that he became the longest-serving President in United States history.

Unsuccessful Vice Presidential Run

Franklin’s national political career started somewhat poorly. In 1920, James M. Cox tapped him as the Vice President. However, the Democratic ticket lost to Warren Harding. Franklin was then serving as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Eleanor Flew with Amelia Earhart

Ten years before FDR traveled by airplane across the Atlantic to meet with Winston Churchill, his wife flew with Amelia Earhart. That flight was on a round-trip between Baltimore and Washington DC. They decided to do it at a gala at the White House.

First by Plane

We know that FDR was the only four-term president in American history and that he died in office. However, did you know he was the first sitting American president to fly by plane? That occurred on January 11, 1943, which was before the plane would be called Air Force One. That was on the way to Morocco on the way to meet with Winston Churchill.

Conclusion

The Roosevelt family is one of the most accomplished in American history. Dating from the family’s very early days in the United States, members of the family held political office. That was with Nicolas, who was an Alderman on what we now call Manhattan. The family has had two presidents so far, and might have more. It is funny that the most accomplished member of the family is Eleanor. Her accomplishments are most likely the subject of another article.