Eleanor Roosevelt Is Born

Setting the scene

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was born in New York City on October 11, 1884, into the prominent Roosevelt and Livingston families. Orphaned young—her mother died in 1892, her father in 1894—she was raised by her grandmother with a sense of duty and social obligation.

What happened

She married her distant cousin Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1905 and became one of the most active first ladies in history, holding press conferences, writing a syndicated column 'My Day,' and advocating for women, African Americans, and the poor during the Depression and World War II.

Why it still matters

After FDR's death she chaired the UN commission drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948. Memorable detail: Eleanor held 348 press conferences during twelve years as first lady, often excluding male reporters until news organizations assigned women journalists.

Background

She chaired the UN Universal Declaration drafting.