FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT, 32ND PRESIDENT - Franklin Roosevelt was the only President to be elected that was disabled and used a wheelchair. For public appearances, however, he used braces to allow him to stand and walk with assistance for very short distances. He also was the only President to be elected to four terms as President. For his first term, he was sworn into office on March 4, 1933. For his second term, he was inaugurated on January 30, 1937, being the first President to be elected after passage of the 20th amendment to the U.S. Constitution which changed the inaugural date to January 20th. He was re-elected and sworn in for a third term on January 20, 1941 and was re-elected and sworn in for a fourth term on January 20, 1945. He was the last and only president to serve more than two terms since the 22nd Amendment ratified in 1951 henceforth restricted Presidents to serving only two terms. Along with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, he is ranked among historians as among our three greatest Presidents for successfully guiding the country through both the Great Depression and World War II. Certainly, he left as great of a mark on the country as any other President. Meanwhile, his wife, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, is often as the greatest woman in America's history, helping to champion many of the social causes that President Roosevelt came to support. After his death, President Truman appointed her as the first U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. In this role, lhe led the fight for the adoption of the International Declaration of Human Rights. If you are visiting Washington, D.C., be sure to visit the FDR Memorial next to the tidal basin. It is one of Washington's newest but most spectacular memorials/monuments.

FRANKLIN PIERCE, 14TH PRESIDENT - Franklin Pierce took the oath of office as President on March 4, 1853. Tragically, on his way by train to his inauguration, his son was killed when the train derailed. As a result of grieving over this loss, his wife was not able to continue and Pierce had to go alone to Washington, D.C. There, he stood up in his carriage to and from the U.S. Capitol to his inauguration. He was the first President to affirm the required presidential oath, rather than being sworn in. He also was the first President to not refer to any notes in delivering his inaugural address.