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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. -
Yosemite under Federal Control
In 1890, an act of Congress creates Yosemite National Park, home of such natural wonders as Half Dome and the giant sequoia trees. This marked the first time the U.S. government protected land for public enjoyment and it laid the foundation for the establishment of the national and state park systems. -
Named President after McKinley is Assassinated
William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was shot in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the public when anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him twice in the abdomen. He died 8 days later and Roosevelt was immediately sworn into office. -
Coal Strike
The Coal strike of 1902 was a strike by the United Mine Workers of America in the anthracite coalfields of eastern Pennsylvania. Miners striked for higher wages, shorter workdays, and the recognition of their union. The strike threatened to shut down the winter fuel supply to major American cities. -
Elkins Act Passed
The law was passed by the 57th Congress and signed by President Roosevelt in 1903. The Elkins Act is a United States federal law that changed the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The Act authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to impose fines on railroads that offered rebates, and upon the shippers that accepted these rebates. -
Pelican Island is named first National Wildlife Refuge
In 1903 with the encouragement of Frank Chapman and the Florida Audubon Society, President Theodore Roosevelt established Pelican Island in the Indian River Lagoon as the first federal bird reservation giving birth to the National Wildlife Refuge System. -
Wins first full term as President
The 1904 United States presidential election was the 30th presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 1904. Incumbent Republican President Theodore Roosevelt defeated the Democratic nominee, Alton B. Parker. -
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). Many people urged Congress to restrain abuses of the food industry. -
Devil’s Tower named first National Monument
Devils Tower National Monument was the first U.S. national monument, established in 1906 in northeastern Wyoming by Theodore Roosevelt. It is 2.1 square miles and features a natural rock tower, the remain of a volcanic structure is now exposed by erosion. -
Roosevelt African Expedition
After leaving the presidency in 1909, Roosevelt went on an epic 11-month expedition through British East Africa and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Later conducting a harrowing expedition along Brazil's uncharted River of Doubt. Its purpose was to collect specimens for the Smithsonian's new Natural History museum, now known as the National Museum of Natural History. -
Runs for President unsuccessfully for Bull-Moose Party
Democratic Governor Woodrow Wilson ran against Republican President William Howard Taft and former President Theodore Roosevelt, who ran under the banner of the new party or "Bull Moose" Party. Wilson was the winner of the 1912 election. After this, Roosevelt would not be allowed to run again.
