Dwight Eisenhower was an American politician and army general who served as the 34th President of the United States 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 Expeditionary Forces in Europe. During his presidency, he oversaw the cease-fire of the Korean War, kept up the Cold War policy of containment, and launched the Space Race. He also promoted the Interstate Highway System and civil rights legislation.