Timeline Description: Dwight David 'Ike' Eisenhower was a highly decorated general in the US army. He served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in North Africa and Europe during World War II and became the first Supreme Commander of NATO. He also served two terms as the 34th President of the United States from 1953 to 1961.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| October 14, 1890 | Eisenhower is born. Dwight David Eisenhower is born on October 14, 1890 in Denison, Texas. Nicknamed Ike, he is the third of seven boys born to Ida and David Eisenhower, who are of Pennsylvania Dutch ancestry. |
| 1892 | Eisenhower moves to Kansas. Two years later the family move back to Abilene, Kansas where Eisenhower grows up with a strong work ethic, respect for religion and a passion for outdoor activities. He learns self-reliance and protection of others as part of a large family. |
| 1909 | Eisenhower graduates high school. Eisenhower graduates Abilene High School in 1909 and joins his father and uncle working at the local Belle Springs Creamery. |
| 1915 | Eisenhower graduates from West Point. Unable to afford two university tuitions, Eisenhower has a pact with his younger brother Edgar to share the course and costs at the University of Michigan. In 1911, before they can switch places, Eisenhower secures a free place at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. He graduates in 1915. |
| July 1, 1916 | Eisenhower marries Mamie. Eisenhower is stationed in Texas where he meets Mamie Geneva Doud, six years his junior. He proposes on Valentine's Day in 1916 and they soon marry on July 1, 1916, pre-empting American entry into the First World War. |
| 1916 | Service in the First World War. Lieutenant Eisenhower is denied his request for an overseas assignment and instead serves at numerous American camps. He rises through the ranks due to his exceptional organizational skills and specializes in training tank crews. To his chagrin he never sees combat, but is awarded a Distinguished Service Medal. |
| September 24, 1917 | Eisenhower's first son is born. Doud Dwight 'Icky' Eisenhower is born on September 24, 1917, but tragically dies of scarlet fever as a toddler in 1921. A second son, John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower, is born the following year on August 3, 1922. |
| 1919 | Studies in tank warfare. Eisenhower is promoted to Major after the war and is assigned to a transcontinental Army convoy in 1919. His studies focus on the role of tanks in warfare and he produces controversial cutting-edge ideas, as well as identifying the need to improve national roads. |
| 1925 | Command and General Staff College. Eisenhower attends the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he graduates at the top of his class in 1926. |
| 1935 | Eisenhower moves to the Philippines. From 1935 Eisenhower serves under General Douglas MacArthur as assistant military advisor to the Philippine government, advising on developing the national army. |
| 1939 | Eisenhower returns to America. In 1939 Eisenhower moves his family back to America where he holds a variety of posts. As World War II breaks out, Eisenhower is noted for his strategic organizational skills and is tasked with creating major war plans after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. |
| 1942 | Supreme Allied commander. In November 1942, Eisenhower is appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied forces in North Africa. Successfully defeating the Axis forces, Eisenhower commands the invasion of Sicily which leads to the fall of fascist Italy. |
| 1943 | Operation Overlord. In December 1943 Eisenhower's remit is extended to Europe and he is responsible for the strategic planning for Operation Overlord, the Allied assault on the coast of Normandy in June 1944. |
| 1945 | Army Chief of Staff. After Germany surrenders, Eisenhower manages American-occupied Germany, documenting concentration camp atrocities for use in the Nuremberg trials. He serves as the Army Chief of Staff on his return to America and is responsible for rapid demobilization of troops. |
| 1951 | Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. Eisenhower is made President of Columbia University in 1947. He resigns after a troubled few years to assume an appointment as first Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1951. |
| November 4, 1952 | Eisenhower becomes President. In 1952 Eisenhower is nominated by the Republican Party for US President. On November 4, 1952, Eisenhower wins the election by a landslide and is elected as the 34th US President. |
| April 16, 1953 | Eisenhower's "Chance For Peace" speech. Shortly after Stalin's death, Eisenhower highlights the escalating cost of Cold War military defense in his "Chance For Peace" speech. His policy is to use inexpensive nuclear weapons as a deterrent, while reducing the funding for conventional military forces. |
| 1950s | Cold War tensions mount. Eisenhower expresses a 'domino theory' about the spread of communism and advocates military negotiation for liberation and peaceful uses for atomic energy. Despite his best efforts, Cold War tensions escalate during his period in office. |
| 1956 | Eisenhower is re-elected. Eisenhower wins his re-election in 1956 with an even greater margin. His two terms are characterized domestically by considerable economic prosperity, the creation of the Interstate Highway System and significant civil rights legislation (1957 and 1960 Civil Rights Acts). He continues the New Deal policies and expands social security provisions. |
| 1957 | The "Eisenhower Doctrine" is announced. Eisenhower forces an end to the Suez Crisis in 1956. The following year he announces the "Eisenhower Doctrine" which establishes America as the protector of unstable friendly governments in the Middle East against communist-led attacks. |
| 1957 | Eisenhower rushes the Space Race. When Russia launches Sputnik in 1957, Eisenhower swiftly forms the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and launches an aggressive campaign to both fund space exploration and improve science in national higher education. |
| 1961 | Eisenhower retires as President. Eisenhower is the first President to be constitutionally prevented from running for a third term. He is also the first outgoing President to receive a lifetime pension, state-provided staff and a Secret Service detail. He warns of the constant Cold War threat in his farewell address. |
| 1960s | Eisenhower paints. Eisenhower retires to a farmhouse in Gettysburg where he enjoys his two favorite hobbies of golf and painting. He produces approximately 260 oil paintings of landscapes and portraits. |
| March 28, 1969 | Eisenhower dies. A heavy smoker, Eisenhower has his first heart attack in 1955, but after retiring he suffers several additional heart attacks. Eisenhower dies on March 28, 1969 from a heart-related illness. He is given both state and military funerals. |