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Story highlights
- A new PBS documentary by Ken Burns highlights the family life of Eleanor Roosevelt
- The politician and former first lady is well know for her campaigning and wit
- 12 quotes from the politician celebrate her wisdom
Leading Women connects you to extraordinary women of our time -- remarkable professionals who have made it to the top in all areas of business, the arts, sport, culture, science and more.
(CNN)Politician, human rights campaigner and longest-serving first lady; Eleanor Roosevelt was a force to be reckoned with.
Initially famous for her marriage to her fifth cousin once removed -- President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who served four terms in office -- Eleanor showed she was different to many other first ladies of the era.
Not content simply to accompany her powerful spouse at events, Eleanor held her own press conferences, spoke at national conventions and remained active in politics even after her husband's death.
Her achievements include serving as the first chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights and chairing John F. Kennedy's Presidential Commission on the Status of Women.
A new documentary of seven episodes by Ken Burns, which aired on PBS stations in the U.S. in September, focuses on three members of the Roosevelt family; Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor.
The series, called 'The Roosevelts: An intimate history,' started airing in the UK on Sunday October 19 and can be seen on the next six Sundays on PBS America (Sky 534 and Virgin 243.)
Fifty-two years after her death, Eleanor's timeless wit lives on in quotation form, the best of which can be seen in the gallery above.
