Rovaniemi was almost completely destroyed in World War II. In 1950, Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, came to visit Rovaniemi in order to see how the US initiative Marshall Plan was helping in the rebuilding process. She wanted to visit the Arctic Circle, and Rovaniemi officials rushed to building a cabin eight kilometres north of the city. The cabin marked the birth of Santa Claus Village and still stands today next to Santa Claus Main Post Office.