Eleanor Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family but had a difficult early life. Both her parents died before she was ten. She was a painfully shy child and felt unattractive and awkward as a young woman. But Eleanor overcame tragedy and personal insecurity to become America's most popular First Lady -- her husband was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- and one of the world's most powerful women. Eleanor worked hard to help others, especially women, minorities and poor people. Eleanor flew greater distances than any other woman in the world during the early days of international flight. She was the first president's wife to hold press conferences and write newspaper columns. After she was First Lady, her achievements continued. Eleanor kept busy as a diplomat and author and also helped write The Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the United Nations. This book in the Snapshots: Images of People and Places in History series introduces young readers to the First Lady, activist, UN delegate, world traveler and writer who led such an inspiring life.