When World War II began in 1939, Dwight D. Eisenhower was a little-known Lieutenant Colonel. Four years later, he became Supreme Commander of the Allied armies in Europe. He united these armies into a fighting force that smashed Nazi Germany's dream of world conquest. He subsequently served as the first military commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. In 1953, Eisenhower became the first Republican President in 20 years.

Chronology of His Life and Career

	Oct 14, 1890	Born in Denison, Texas.
	1892	Moved with his family to Abilene, Kansas
	1909	Graduated from high school.
	1915	Graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
	July 1, 1916	Married Mamie Geneva Doud.
	1918	Awarded the Distinguished Service Medal for his work as commander of the tank training center at Camp Colt, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
	1922-1924	Served as executive director of Camp Gaillard in the Panama Canal Zone.
	1926	Graduated as a Major from the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
	1928	Graduated from the Army War College in Washington, D.C.
	1933	Became an aide to General Douglas MacArthur.
	1941	Promoted to Colonel, then to Brigadier General.
	1942	Named commanding general of American forces in the European Theater of Operations.
	1943	Named supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe.
	June 6, 1944	Led the Allied invasion of Europe.
	1945	Named Army Chief of Staff.
	1947	Celebrated his 57th birthday.
	1948	Became president of Columbia University.
	1950	Named supreme commander of NATO forces in Europe.
	1950	Bought a farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
	1952	Elected President of the United States.
	1954	The Eisenhower Museum was dedicated in Abilene.
	1956	Re-elected President.
	1958	Underwent his annual physical examination.
	1959	Ground was broken for the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene.
	1961	Retired to his farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
	1965	Suffered a mild heart attack.
	1968	Suffered four heart attacks.
	Mar 28, 1969	Died in a hospital in Washington, D.C.

Notes and Trivia

Eisenhower was named David Dwight at birth, but his parents almost always called him Dwight; by the time he reached high school he had reversed his names.

In grade school, Dwight's older brother Edgar was nicknamed "Big Ike" and Dwight became "Little Ike." How the Eisenhower brothers' classmates came up with the "Ike" moniker is not known, but Dwight continued to be called "Ike" most of his life.

Link of Interest

Eisenhower National Historical Site www.nps.gov/eise/

See Also

World War II
Texas
Abilene, Kansas
Douglas MacArthur

Questions or comments about this page?

This page was last updated on December 24, 2018.