![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4fHfgrMmZLQtvsUNygElhhBfv4A7ypI_RFhbtv-QzsXGH5rzh4QW3vNJi3dDX-vcENSeJiHK0W1DNwg9eXLowcuMlNIaFYN-E-p8-o9qBrBfj_yduOJ0sHkiwnPsogkG1t_HhC87rEm4/s200/President_Theodore_Roosevelt,_1904.jpg)
On October 27, 1858, Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States was born. He was an avid hunter and naturalist. When he was growing up, his room always contained a pet mouse or a collection of stuffed birds. When he was president, zoologists recognized him as one of the best field naturalists in the country. He was also an authority on North American Game.
In 1901, President William McKinley was assassinated, and Roosevelt, at 43 years old, became the youngest president ever to assume the office. He stamped the presidency with a vitality that delighted most Americans and was elected to a second term in 1904.
Roosevelt set aside land for America's first national parks and monuments.