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Named President when McKinley is assassinated
One bullet grazed McKinley; the other entered his abdomen and was never found. McKinley initially appeared to be recovering, but he took a turn for the worse on September 13 as his wounds became gangrenous, and he died early the next morning; he was succeeded by his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt. -
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. The Elkins Act gave federal courts the power to end rate discrimination. -
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. -
Devil’s Tower, Wyoming, named first national monument
A sacred place to over 20 Native American tribes, the Tower is also known as Bear Lodge. Devils Tower was designated as America's first national monument in 1906 by President Theodore Roosevelt. -
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 (FDA). -
Leaves presidency, visits Africa
Roosevelt and his expeditionary party leave New York for Africa. April 21, 1909, The expedition arrives in Mombasa.
