The most recent conjunction, in April 2013, Mars was 364 million km away from Earth, on the other side of the Sun. And in June, 2015 it'll be 384 million kilometers. The vast distance between Earth and Mars has a real impact on our communications to the Red Planet.
Franklin D. Roosevelt: Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd president of the United States, who led the country through the Great Depression and World War II.
FDR like Lincoln wasn't someone you'd consider a supporter but his New Deal programs did help black people during the Great Depression and his wife Eleanor was a supporter of Civil Rights. Also, FDR did use his executive powers for workplace equality.