-
Theodore Roosevelt is born
The first child born to Theodore and his wife Edith. -
Named President when McKinley is assassinated
After about eight days, President McKinley died early on September 14 from an infection caused by a gunshot wound to the abdomen. About 13 hours after McKinley’s passing, Roosevelt privately took the oath of office at Wilcox’s house. -
Elkins Act passed
The Elkins Act prohibits railroad companies from giving rebates to businesses that ship large quantities of goods and giving power to those businesses to artificially lower shipping prices. -
Wins first full term as President
Roosevelt's victory made him the first president who ascended to the presidency upon the death of his predecessor to win a full term in his own right. -
Yosemite under Federal Control
John Muir was a naturalist who had been advocating for increased protections for Yosemite, as it was under threat of commercialization, overgrazing, and logging. Yosemite was a National Park and protections and regulations were administrated at the state level. Yosemite needed regulations at a federal level and the park found them in Teddy Roosevelt. -
Passage of Pure Food And Drug Act
Nearly 100 bills had been introduced in Congress to regulate food and drugs. President Roosevelt signed the Food and Drugs Act, known simply as the Wiley Act, a pillar of the Progressive era. -
Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, named first national monument
Roosevelt's love of nature made him seek to set aside parts of the United States for conservation purposes. He selected Devils Tower because of its cultural and historical significance. -
Pelican Island, Florida named first national wildlife refuge
Roosevelt created the National Wildlife Refuge System. While in office, he would go on to create 50 more federal bird reserves and four national game preserves within the refuge system. -
Leaves presidency, visits Africa
Roosevelt spent months in the wilds of East Africa, hunting big game in parts of what are now Kenya and Uganda. -
Runs for presidency, unsuccessfully for Bull-Moose Party
The Progressive Party was popularly nicknamed the "Bull Moose Party" when Roosevelt boasted that he felt "strong as a bull moose" after losing the Republican nomination in June 1912 at the Chicago convention.