Franklin D. Roosevelt: 1882-1945

President Roosevelt's weekly radio "fireside chats," begun in 1933, played a crucial role in rallying voter support for White House policies on everything from banking reform to the war in Europe. The tactic worked: A record 70 percent of U.S. households tuned in for FDR's May 1941 speech on an "unlimited national emergency," easily bypassing the headliner radio shows of Amos 'n' Andy and Jack Benny.

• Presidents and Their Dogs