The 1950s President was Dwight D. Eisenhower, commonly known as 'Ike'. He was the 34th President of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army during World War II and served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe. He was responsible for planning and supervising the invasion of North Africa in Operation Torch in 1942–43 and the successful invasion of France and Germany in 1944–45 from the Western Front.