David Dwight Eisenhower was born on October 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas. Later, his family moved to Abilene, Kansas, the town most associated with his life. He went by his middle name and when he entered West Point he changed his name. Earlier, he attended Abilene High School.
In 1919, Eisenhower took part in a military convoy from Washington, D.C. to San Francisco along the Lincoln Highway. The trip took 60 days and revealed to Eisenhower the shortcomings of the U.S. highway network.
Eisenhower rose through th ranks of the U.S. Army and in 1942, he became the Commanding General of US troops in Europe as well as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces. His greatest challenge was the Eurpoean invasion on D-Day.
After WWII, he was appointed a governor of post-war Germany and was instrumental in the rebuilding of that country. For a short time he was the president of Columbia University. In 1952 he was 'drafted' into politics and was elected U.S. President (1953-1961). His most notable act was the creation of the Interstate Highway System (1956).
Eisenhower died on March 28, 1969, in Washington, D.C. He is buried at his family home in Abilene, Kansas.
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