Profile of the Day: Woodrow Wilson

On this day in 1856, Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the United States, was born in Staunton, Virginia.

Image: Woodrow Wilson / Library of Congress

Wilson was the third of four children born to Joseph Ruggles Wilson and Jessie Janet Woodrow. His paternal grandparents had immigrated to the United States from Ireland, while his maternal grandparents had come from Scotland.

As President, Wilson led the country through World War I and helped craft the Treaty of Versailles, which brought the Great War to an end. The treaty also created the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations. In 1919, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work to create peace after the war.

In October 1919, Wilson suffered a severe stroke which left him bedridden. His second wife, Edith, masked his condition and began to screen all matters of state to determine which were important enough to bring to the attention of the President. As such, she unofficially ran the executive branch of the government for the remainder of Wilson’s second term.

Explore Woodrow Wilson’s family tree and share your connection to the 28th U.S. President.

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