For around forty years, the laws and policies of America were shaped into form with the help of Franklin Roosevelt, a man who rose from the Senate to appointment as Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and from there to Vice Presidency. Defeating Herbert Hoover in the presidential race in 1929, he took office just as the Great Depression was starting. With a “Hundred Days” agenda, he instituted a spate of social service programs, which earned him a landslide re-election. By 1940, as the clouds of war were gathering on the horizon, Roosevelt campaigned for an unprecedented third term, arguing that he was the best man to lead the country in a time of turmoil. Four years later, he ran again.

On this day, November 7, in 1944, FDR was elected once more, for his fourth term, against Thomas Dewey. Although Dewey was closer than any of FDR’s previous opponents, he was still defeated by a wide margin.

FDR saw America out of the war, but did not complete his fourth term. He died while in office on April 12, 1945, succeeded by his vice president Harry Truman. Two years later, Congress passed the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, limiting future presidents to two consecutive terms. But FDR’s legacy, through four presidential terms, governorship of New York, and his early political career would continue to live on.