Dwight D. Eisenhower was a successful military commander and a two-term President of the United States. His is most well-known in his military career for directing the D-Day landings that turned the tide of World War II in the Allies' favor.

Eisenhower was born on Oct. 14, 1890, in Denison, Texas. His parents, David and Ida Eisenhower, moved to Abilene, Kan., two years later. His birth name was David, after his father; and his middle name was Dwight. His mother switched the order of the two names not long after he was born. He was one of seven sons, all of whom were called "Ike" because it was short for the longer last name.

Eisenhower grew up in the small Kansas town and attended Abilene High School, excelling at baseball and football. One year, he sustained an injury that got infected and caused a doctor to suggest amputation of a leg; Eisenhower refused and recovered. He also developed a love for reading, devouring the books in his mother's extensive collection. Of particular interest to the young boy were books on history.

He graduated from high school in 1909. He and a younger brother Edgar ("Big Ike"), had promised each other that each of them would work for a year in order to pay for the other's college fees and then switch. After working for two years (at Edgar's request) at a creamery, Eisenhower ("Little Ike") passed the U.S. Naval Academy admission exam but was not admitted because he was too old. He was admitted into the Army Academy, however.

At West Point, he made the football team but not the baseball team. He suffered another knee injury in a football game and pivoted instead to non-contact sports like fencing and gymnastics. He graduated from West Point in 1915, along with 59 others who became generals. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant and assigned to the infantry.

The Army sent Eisenhower to Texas. Not long after he started his service there, he met Mamie Doud. The two got along quite well quite quickly and were married the following year. They had planned to marry in November 1916 but, thinking that the U.S. would enter World War I at any time, instead got married on July 1. The Army stationed Eisenhower in Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

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