Teddy Day is celebrated every year on February 10 during the hearty Valentine’s week. A celebration of all things cute, on this day a teddy bear is given to loved ones as a gesture of love but do you know the story behind the adorable teddy bear?
Teddy bear was invented to honor the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, whose other name is Teddy. Meaningful?
Let’s learn the origin story of the teddy bear here!
Who was Theodore Roosevelt?
- Theodore Roosevelt, commonly known as Teddy, was the 26th President of the United States in 1901.
- Teddy is an outdoorsman and naturalist who enjoys exploring the natural world.
- He protected more than 200 million acres of public lands, where he established the United States Forest Service, as well as five National Parks during his presidency.
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Source: Wikipedia
But what does this have to do with stuffed bears? Learn more!
Teddy Bear: Origin Story
- In 1902, Teddy Roosevelt accepted a hunting invitation from Mississippi governor Andrew Longino and they continued with a guide named Holt Collier, who knew the land well.
- Collier was determined to help Roosevelt who was eager to find a black bear, so on the second day of the excursion, Collier encountered one.
- Collier decided to tie the bear to Roosevelt however, when Roosevelt saw this he was surprised.
- Roosevelt declared his dislike for the scene and said such action would be unsportsmanlike.
- News of Roosevelt’s act of kindness spread like wildfire across America.
- Soon after, Washington Post cartoonist Clifford Berryman produced the sensational cartoon at the top of this blog explaining the event.
Source: Wikipedia
Teddy bears: Creation and reputation
Like others, a Brooklyn, New York couple, Rose and Morris Michtom learned of the incident after it was widely publicized nationally in an editorial cartoon.
The couple owned a penny candy store and decided they would make a stuffed doll in the shape of a teddy bear and display it in the window to honor the President and his act of kindness.
They cut out some fabric and sewed on some button eyes and displayed it in their window.
The stuffed toy is called Teddy Bear. It was an overnight hit! People loved it so much that the Mitchtoms asked if they could use Roosevelt’s name for the bear and Roosevelt obliged.
Now, instead of selling candy, the couple decided to start Ideal Toy Company, which created a multigenerational love of Teddy Bears.
The first teddy bear
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- The first people to play with Teddy bears were Roosevelt’s children.
- It is said that as a gift, the Michtom family gave the first bear to Kermit Roosevelt, who was 13 years old at the time.
- In 1984, the world’s first teddy bear museum was established in Petersfield, Hampshire, England.
- In 1990, a similar fund was established in Naples, Florida, USA.
- They were closed in 2006 and 2005 and the bears were auctioned off.
- Currently there are many other teddy bear museums in the world.
This bear is a constant reminder to children of their father’s gentleness and his deep connection to the natural world.
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Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn