Theodore Roosevelt will always be remembered for his many great accomplishments as a politician, war hero, author, rancher, conservationist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
He was a devout conservationist who encouraged the creation of the National Park system, negotiated the end to the Russian-Japanese War, and above all, Theodore Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States.
But all of his accomplishments are overshadowed by the one thing that keeps his name in the public arena more than anything else, and that is the Teddy Bear, which was named after him.
Many children today may not even know who Theodore Roosevelt was or about the many great things he did for this country. They know what a Teddy Bear is but they probably don't know the story behind it.
The story of the Teddy Bear began in 1902 when President Theodore Roosevelt went on a hunting trip while in Mississippi. As the story went, Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear that had been caught, roped, and tied to a tree.
When the news of this act of kindness was made public, and although there were varying accounts of what actually happened that day, the story about President Roosevelt and the bear was published in newspapers as a cartoon the next day.
Entrepreneurs read the story, decided to make a stuffed bear, and it is said that they asked the President if he minded if they used his name for the bear. The president gave them his permission and the name, Teddy Bear, was born.
From that moment in history, Teddy Bears became one of the most popular and beloved collectible toys in the world and are still being sold by the millions.
Over the years, Teddy Bears have become very popular in collector's circles. There are many Teddy Bears who have their own names and brand names that date back to the early 1900's.
Many have their own histories that make them collector's items. Some are rare and hard to find. Others are made by important manufacturers that put them out in a limited edition series, thus making owning one a collector's dream.
Teddy Roosevelt may never have understood the historical importance of taking pity on that poor bear that day in Mississippi and allowing his name to be used in conjunction with it.
Nevertheless, the Teddy Bear craze was on and collectors and antique dealers, as well as everyday people from around the world, are still tapped into it.