Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy encompasses a wide range of outstanding achievements – from overseeing the construction of the Panama Canal to helping root out public corruption to dissolving monopolies as a so-called “trust buster.” However, there’s a lot more to this majestic figure than what's detailed in the history books. Below are several fascinating facts about the 26th U.S. President that run the gamut from special awards he received to his personal pet peeves.
Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) was a man of varied interests and notable accomplishments. His name alone conjures up images of a stout, bespectacled man with a brown mustache and larger-than-life personality. Indeed, this revered figure who famously exhorted Americans to “speak softly and carry a big stick” is remembered as an ebullient politician who pledged to crack down on trusts and corruption, an outdoorsy explorer deeply committed to the conservation of natural resources, and an intrepid Colonel who commanded the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry – also known as the Rough Riders – during the Spanish-American War. He is also credited with being the driving force behind the building of the Panama Canal and the founder of the Progressive Party in 1912.
But there’s far more to Teddy Roosevelt than meets the eye. Below is a round-up of little-known facts about him that you likely didn’t learn in history class.
1. Contrary to popular belief, John F. Kennedy was not the youngest president in history to take office. Though Kennedy was the youngest ever to be elected at 43, Teddy Roosevelt was actually 42 years old when he was sworn in following the assassination of President William McKinley.
2. In 1905, Teddy Roosevelt became the first president in U.S. history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His role in negotiating a treaty to the Russo-Japanese War earned him this most prized accolade. Only 3 presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize since: Woodrow Wilson, for his work as the architect of the League of Nations (1919); Jimmy Carter, for his efforts to promote world peace and human rights (2002); and Barack Obama, so honored for his commitment to strengthening international diplomacy (2009).
3. Roosevelt is the only U.S. president to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military honor. In 2001, more than a century after the Spanish-American War, President Clinton posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Roosevelt for his bold charge up San Juan Hill. Roosevelt holds the distinction of being the only president in history to hold both the Nobel Peace Prize and Medal of Honor. Interestingly, his son, Brig. General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., would later receive the Medal for being the first World War II general to land ashore during the Normandy landings on D-Day in 1944.
4. Though Theodore Roosevelt preferred to be known as “Colonel Roosevelt” or simply “The Colonel,” it was “Teddy” that ultimately stuck with the public. But Roosevelt found the nickname to be unbefitting for a man of his rank.
5. Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, were fifth cousins. Oddly enough, Teddy was also the uncle of Franklin Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.
6. Roosevelt began cultivating a lifelong interest in zoology at the age of 7 upon seeing a dead seal at a local market. After obtaining the seal’s head, Roosevelt and two of his cousins formed what they dubbed the “Roosevelt Museum of Natural History,” a makeshift museum chock full of animals he collected and displayed for all to see. All told, Roosevelt and his companions killed or trapped approximately 11,000 animals during an African safari in 1909.
7. Teddy was a voracious reader with a knack for memorizing even the smallest details. He was conversant in such subjects as biology, history, and geography. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1880 with an A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard, where he took up rowing and boxing and edited The Harvard Advocate. Though he subsequently entered Columbia Law School, Teddy would eventually drop out to pursue public office.
8. In 1907, President Roosevelt signed the proclamation that established Oklahoma as the 46th state of the Union.
9. In 1902, Roosevelt was the first president to be seen riding in an automobile in public. He was spotted in a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton in Hartford, Connecticut.
10. While campaigning as the nominee of the newly formed Progressive Party (also known as the Bull Moose Party) in 1912, Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a saloonkeeper named John Schrank. Doctors determined that it would be more dangerous to attempt to remove the bullet lodged in Roosevelt’s chest muscle than to leave it in place. So, Teddy carried it with him for the rest of his life, resulting in his suffering from chronic rheumatoid arthritis.
11. When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Roosevelt aimed to raise a volunteer infantry division, but President Woodrow Wilson didn't want to acquiesce.
12. Roosevelt zealously advocated for the Scouting movement. The Boy Scouts of America conferred the title of “Chief Scout Citizen” upon Teddy, the first and only person to hold that distinction.
13. Teddy Roosevelt was an accomplished author, writing on varied subjects ranging from wildlife to foreign policy. In total, Roosevelt wrote some 18 books, the most notable of which included History of the Naval War of 1812, The Winning of the West, and The Rough Riders. He was also a voracious reader, reading tens of thousands of books in multiple languages in his lifetime. Roosevelt is included among the best-read presidents of all time, a select group that includes the likes of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Woodrow Wilson.
14. Hundreds of schools and streets are named in Teddy’s honor, as are the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles and the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
15. Like John Quincy Adams and Lyndon Johnson, Roosevelt was an avid skinny dipper. He also had a passion for boxing. As governor of New York and U.S. President, he regularly boxed several times a week until one blow detached his left retina, rendering him blind in that one eye.
16. Teddy Roosevelt was one of the first presidents to have his voice recorded for posterity. Various recorded speeches delivered by Teddy survive to this day. (You'll find a few on YouTube.)
17. Teddy considered President Lincoln to be his mentor. In fact, Roosevelt invoked Lincoln in many of his speeches and used the 16th president’s ideas in several of his letters.
18. The teddy bear is so named because of an incident involving the 26th President in 1902. Roosevelt happened upon a wounded black bear and refused to kill it himself (he had his aides do it for him). The event was depicted by cartoonist Clifford K. Barryman in an editorial cartoon ran by The Washington Post. A toy maker looking to sell toy bears later learned of the story and asked Roosevelt if he had the president’s permission to name the bears “teddy bears.” Roosevelt relented.
Without a doubt, there’s a lot more to Teddy Roosevelt than his mustache and likeness as is depicted on Mount Rushmore. From hunting to writing, Teddy Roosevelt led a vigorous life in which he partook in a wide array of activities. It is my hope that you now have deeper insight into the man they aptly called “the lion.” Plus, I’m confident you’ll think of T.R. the next time you come across the teddy bear aisle at a toy or convenience store!
Teddy Roosevelt (1858-1919) was a man of varied interests and notable accomplishments. His name alone conjures up images of a stout, bespectacled man with a brown mustache and larger-than-life personality. Indeed, this revered figure who famously exhorted Americans to “speak softly and carry a big stick” is remembered as an ebullient politician who pledged to crack down on trusts and corruption, an outdoorsy explorer deeply committed to the conservation of natural resources, and an intrepid Colonel who commanded the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry – also known as the Rough Riders – during the Spanish-American War. He is also credited with being the driving force behind the building of the Panama Canal and the founder of the Progressive Party in 1912.
But there’s far more to Teddy Roosevelt than meets the eye. Below is a round-up of little-known facts about him that you likely didn’t learn in history class.
1. Contrary to popular belief, John F. Kennedy was not the youngest president in history to take office. Though Kennedy was the youngest ever to be elected at 43, Teddy Roosevelt was actually 42 years old when he was sworn in following the assassination of President William McKinley.
2. In 1905, Teddy Roosevelt became the first president in U.S. history to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. His role in negotiating a treaty to the Russo-Japanese War earned him this most prized accolade. Only 3 presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize since: Woodrow Wilson, for his work as the architect of the League of Nations (1919); Jimmy Carter, for his efforts to promote world peace and human rights (2002); and Barack Obama, so honored for his commitment to strengthening international diplomacy (2009).
3. Roosevelt is the only U.S. president to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military honor. In 2001, more than a century after the Spanish-American War, President Clinton posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor to Roosevelt for his bold charge up San Juan Hill. Roosevelt holds the distinction of being the only president in history to hold both the Nobel Peace Prize and Medal of Honor. Interestingly, his son, Brig. General Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., would later receive the Medal for being the first World War II general to land ashore during the Normandy landings on D-Day in 1944.
4. Though Theodore Roosevelt preferred to be known as “Colonel Roosevelt” or simply “The Colonel,” it was “Teddy” that ultimately stuck with the public. But Roosevelt found the nickname to be unbefitting for a man of his rank.
5. Teddy Roosevelt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, were fifth cousins. Oddly enough, Teddy was also the uncle of Franklin Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.
6. Roosevelt began cultivating a lifelong interest in zoology at the age of 7 upon seeing a dead seal at a local market. After obtaining the seal’s head, Roosevelt and two of his cousins formed what they dubbed the “Roosevelt Museum of Natural History,” a makeshift museum chock full of animals he collected and displayed for all to see. All told, Roosevelt and his companions killed or trapped approximately 11,000 animals during an African safari in 1909.
7. Teddy was a voracious reader with a knack for memorizing even the smallest details. He was conversant in such subjects as biology, history, and geography. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 1880 with an A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard, where he took up rowing and boxing and edited The Harvard Advocate. Though he subsequently entered Columbia Law School, Teddy would eventually drop out to pursue public office.
8. In 1907, President Roosevelt signed the proclamation that established Oklahoma as the 46th state of the Union.
9. In 1902, Roosevelt was the first president to be seen riding in an automobile in public. He was spotted in a Columbia Electric Victoria Phaeton in Hartford, Connecticut.
10. While campaigning as the nominee of the newly formed Progressive Party (also known as the Bull Moose Party) in 1912, Roosevelt was shot in the chest by a saloonkeeper named John Schrank. Doctors determined that it would be more dangerous to attempt to remove the bullet lodged in Roosevelt’s chest muscle than to leave it in place. So, Teddy carried it with him for the rest of his life, resulting in his suffering from chronic rheumatoid arthritis.
11. When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Roosevelt aimed to raise a volunteer infantry division, but President Woodrow Wilson didn't want to acquiesce.
12. Roosevelt zealously advocated for the Scouting movement. The Boy Scouts of America conferred the title of “Chief Scout Citizen” upon Teddy, the first and only person to hold that distinction.
13. Teddy Roosevelt was an accomplished author, writing on varied subjects ranging from wildlife to foreign policy. In total, Roosevelt wrote some 18 books, the most notable of which included History of the Naval War of 1812, The Winning of the West, and The Rough Riders. He was also a voracious reader, reading tens of thousands of books in multiple languages in his lifetime. Roosevelt is included among the best-read presidents of all time, a select group that includes the likes of Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and Woodrow Wilson.
14. Hundreds of schools and streets are named in Teddy’s honor, as are the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles and the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City.
15. Like John Quincy Adams and Lyndon Johnson, Roosevelt was an avid skinny dipper. He also had a passion for boxing. As governor of New York and U.S. President, he regularly boxed several times a week until one blow detached his left retina, rendering him blind in that one eye.
16. Teddy Roosevelt was one of the first presidents to have his voice recorded for posterity. Various recorded speeches delivered by Teddy survive to this day. (You'll find a few on YouTube.)
17. Teddy considered President Lincoln to be his mentor. In fact, Roosevelt invoked Lincoln in many of his speeches and used the 16th president’s ideas in several of his letters.
18. The teddy bear is so named because of an incident involving the 26th President in 1902. Roosevelt happened upon a wounded black bear and refused to kill it himself (he had his aides do it for him). The event was depicted by cartoonist Clifford K. Barryman in an editorial cartoon ran by The Washington Post. A toy maker looking to sell toy bears later learned of the story and asked Roosevelt if he had the president’s permission to name the bears “teddy bears.” Roosevelt relented.
Without a doubt, there’s a lot more to Teddy Roosevelt than his mustache and likeness as is depicted on Mount Rushmore. From hunting to writing, Teddy Roosevelt led a vigorous life in which he partook in a wide array of activities. It is my hope that you now have deeper insight into the man they aptly called “the lion.” Plus, I’m confident you’ll think of T.R. the next time you come across the teddy bear aisle at a toy or convenience store!
Want more history? Check out Can't-Miss Facts About Thomas Jefferson
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