ChronoFive
Play today’s puzzle
Setting the scene
After commanding Allied forces in Europe during World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower had resisted partisan politics until both parties courted him. The Korean War stalemate, corruption scandals, and Senator Joseph McCarthy's rise made voters eager for calm, experienced leadership.
What happened
Eisenhower defeated Democrat Adlai Stevenson in November 1952, winning 442 electoral votes to Stevenson's 89 and ending twenty years of Democratic White House control. Richard Nixon, dogged by a fund scandal, stayed on the ticket after the famous 'Checkers' speech.
Why it still matters
Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, sent troops to Little Rock, and warned in his farewell address of the 'military-industrial complex.' Memorable detail: 'I Like Ike' campaign buttons and television ads pioneered modern political marketing for a war hero who had never held elected office.
Background
His presidency built the interstate highway system.