Teddy Roosevelt Timeline

  • Theodore Roosevelt is born

    Theodore Roosevelt is born
    28 East 20th Street is the address of the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site, which is a part of the National Park System.
  • Named President when McKinley is assassinated

    Named President when McKinley is assassinated
    In Buffalo, New York, during the Pan American Exposition, President William McKinley was shot. Theodore Roosevelt, the vice president, takes over as president.
  • Energy crisis - Anthracite Coal Strike

    Energy crisis - Anthracite Coal Strike
    The goal of the anthracite coal miners' protest was to demand improved wages and working conditions. The mining owners first refused to engage in negotiations and closed the mine.
  • Elkins Act passed

    Elkins Act passed
    According to the Elkins Act, railroad firms are not allowed to provide large-scale cargo importers with refunds or the ability to artificially cut transportation costs.
  • Pelican Island, Florida named first national wildlife refuge

    Pelican Island, Florida named first national wildlife refuge
    By executive order, President Theodore Roosevelt made Pelican Island the first national wildlife refuge in the US in 1903, protecting breeding birds.
  • Wins first full term as President

    Wins first full term as President
    In the 1904 presidential contest, Democratic candidate Alton B. Parker was defeated by Theodore Roosevelt. After taking the presidency upon the death of his predecessor, Roosevelt made history by winning a landslide victory and became the first president to serve a full term.
  • Yosemite under Federal Control

    Yosemite under Federal Control
    Following his trip to Yosemite and meeting renowned naturalist John Muir, President Theodore Roosevelt promised to include the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. On June 11, 1906, the State of California gave the federal government back control of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove.
  • Passage of Pure Food And Drug Act

    Passage of Pure Food And Drug Act
    This established the framework for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the country's first consumer protection organization, and prohibited the sale of tainted or mislabeled food and medicines in interstate commerce.
  • Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, named first national monument

    Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, named first national monument
    With its 1,267-foot (386-meter) height above the Belle Fourche River, Devil's Tower is home to the tallest pillar jointing in the world. Bear Lodge, another name for the Tower, is a sacred site to more than 20 Native American tribes.
  • Leaves presidency, visits Africa

    Leaves presidency, visits Africa
    It took eight years for Smithsonian naturalists to catalog the approximately 11,400 animal specimens that were gathered during the voyage. Political and social contacts with local authorities and leaders took place during the tour. Roosevelt wrote about the voyage in his book African Game Trails.
  • Runs for presidency, unsuccessfully for Bull-Moose Party

    Runs for presidency, unsuccessfully for Bull-Moose Party
    A political party founded by Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, it was often referred to as the "Bull Moose Party" and its goal was to promote progressive policies and overthrow President William Howard Taft. Roosevelt campaigned on the Progressive party ticket after Taft secured the Republican Party's candidacy.