Teddy Bear Was Named in Honor of President Theodore Roosevelt

There was a direct connection between soft cuddly bear toys and one of the former US presidents. And the clue lay in the nickname.

It was 1902, and Theodore Roosevelt went on a bear-hunting trip in Mississippi. The politician was offered to shoot a beast that the group of hunters had lassoed. Though Roosevelt agreed the injured bear should be put out of its misery, he refused to commit the act himself.

The incident generated national attention and was depicted in a popular political cartoon by Clifford Berryman.

After the cartoon, shopkeeper Morris Michtom and his wife Rose made a stuffed fabric bear honoring the country's 26th commander-in-chief and placed it with a "Teddy's bear" sign on their store window. After writing to the President and getting permission to use his name for their creation, the Michtoms started a successful company manufacturing different toys.