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Some Interesting Facts about the Teddy Bear

The teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a cute and cuddly bear. But did you know that the teddy bear is named in honour of US President Theodore Roosevelt?

How the Name Teddy Bear Came About

President Theodore Roosevelt was known to people as Teddy. So how did his nickname become associated with the teddy bear?

The story started when Roosevelt went on a bear-hunting activity with Mississippi Governor Andrew H Longino and other friends near Onward, Mississippi on 14 November 1902. While is compatriots were able to find and hunt their bears, Roosevelt never got any.

Refusing to Shoot the Bear

The cavalry found a black bear that was caught up and cornered on a willow tree. They called Roosevelt and suggested to shoot it, so he could have a hunt of his own. Roosevelt declined, seeing the situation as unsportsmanlike.

The Bear and the President in the News

News of this event spread in newspapers all over the US like wildfire. They recounted the story of how the president did not want to shoot a bear during a hunting game.

A political cartoonist by the name of Clifford Berryman decided to draw a satire of what happened, and his cartoon was published in the Washington Post on 16 November 1902.

The Making of the Teddy Bear

However, Morris Michtom, a candy shop owner in Brooklyn and whose wife was a stuffed toy maker, saw the cartoon and came up with an idea. He and his wife made a stuffed toy in the form of the bear. Michtom decided to call it the “Teddy Bear” in honour of the president who didn’t want to shoot a bear.

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