[9]

Early life and education
The Eisenhower family home in Abilene, Kansas
Eisenhower was born David Dwight Eisenhower in Denison, Texas, on October 14, 1890, the third of seven sons born to Ida Stover and David J. Eisenhower.[10] His mother soon reversed his two forenames after his birth to avoid the confusion of having two Davids in the family.[11] All of the boys were nicknamed "Ike", such as "Big Ike" (Edgar) and "Little Ike" (Eisenhower); the nickname was intended as an abbreviation of their last name.[12] By World War II, only Eisenhower was still called "Ike".[3]
In 1892, the family moved to Abilene, Kansas, which Eisenhower considered his hometown.[3] As a child, he was involved in an accident that cost his younger brother Earl an eye, for which he was remorseful for the remainder of his life.[13] Eisenhower developed a keen and enduring interest in exploring the outdoors. He learned about hunting and fishing, cooking, and card playing from an illiterate man named Bob Davis who camped on the Smoky Hill River.