History Focus
October 27

   
               

A short focus on a person or event associated with this day in History.


Theodore Roosevelt-
(Born on October 27, 1858)

A few possibly unusual facts about the 26th US president.

Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt was born on October 27, 1858. He became the 26th president of the United States. I bet you thought that the youngest US President was John F. Kennedy. NOT! Teddy became president at age 42, following the assassination of William McKinley. Kennedy was the youngest elected president, at age 43.

Teddy was the first president to travel outside the United States. He traveled to Panama. Teddy Roosevelt was very much a conservationist. He was so obsessed with conservation that he banned Christmas trees from the White House. In 1906 he was awarded Nobel Peace Prize for arbitrating end of Russo-Japanese War.

It was only after the assassination of  William McKinley that measures in security for the president were taken. Secretary of the Treasury Lyman J. Gage took matters into his own hands and assigned Secret Service agents to guard Theodore Roosevelt. After the assassination of McKinley the police unit assigned to guard the White House was increased to a staff of six men. Teddy Roosevelt was protected by the Secret Service. He also said that he carried a hand gun on himself for personal protection. While Roosevelt was in Milwaukee to attend an election rally. He was shot by John F. Schrank, while waving at a crowd of people. Teddy, with a bullet still in him, gave a speech and remained on stage for 1 and 1/2 half hours before seeking medical attention.

Teddy Roosevelt's favorite dog was a spunky terrier he named Skip. Teddy found the dog while hunting in the Grand Canyon. Teddy admired Skip for his pluck in confronting a wild bear.