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Theodore Roosevelt is born
On October 27, 1858, future President Theodore Roosevelt is born in New York City to a wealthy family. Roosevelt was home-schooled and then attended Harvard University, graduating in 1880 -
Named President when McKinley is assassinated
Roosevelt assumed the presidency at age 42 after McKinley was assassinated in September 1901. He remains the youngest person to become president of the United States. -
Elkins Act Passed
Urged by the Pennsylvania Railroad, Elkins placed the bill bearing his name before the Senate in early 1902 and it passed in February 1903, moving unanimously out of the Senate and passing by a 250 to 6 vote in the House -
Pelican Island, Florida named first national wildlife refuge
Pelican Island, the nation's most historic refuge, and the surrounding area was first inhabited by the Ais people between 2000 BCE and the mid-1600. Then, in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt's executive order designated the island as the nation's first national wildlife refuge for the protection of nesting birds -
Wins first full term as President
With the assassination of President William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, not quite 43, became the 26th and youngest President in the Nation’s history (1901-1909). He brought new excitement and power to the office, vigorously leading Congress and the American public toward progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy. -
Yosemite under Federal Control
In 1906, the state-controlled Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove came under federal jurisdiction with the rest of the park. -
Passage of Pure Food And Drug Act
The Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 prohibited the sale of misbranded or adulterated food and drugs in interstate commerce and laid a foundation for the nation's first consumer protection agency, the Food and Drug Administration -
Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, named first national monument
Devils Tower was designated by President Theodore Roosevelt as a national monument -
Runs for presidency, unsuccessfully for Bull-Moose Party
Bull Moose Party, formally Progressive Party, U.S. dissident political faction that nominated former president Theodore Roosevelt as its candidate in the presidential election of 1912 -
Leaves presidency, visits Africa
Despite riding the crest of an unprecedented wave of popularity, Theodore Roosevelt declined to run again for the presidency in 1908. He anointed William Howard Taft, his close friend and Secretary of War as his successor. -
Energy Crisis
When Theodore Roosevelt tangled with oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, near the turn of the 20th century, he became the first president to pit the power of the White House against the power of oil.