AI IMAGE - Portrait of Franklin D Rosevelt, 1940s, (2023). Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945) served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in April 1945. He was diagnosed with polio in the 1920s, but was careful never to be seen using his wheelchair in public. Great care was taken to prevent any portrayal in the press that would highlight his disability. During the Great Depression, he implemented the New Deal in response to the most significant economic crisis in American history. FDR is the only U.S. president to have served more than eight years in office. His third and fourth terms were dominated by World War II.