September 9th – National Teddy Bear Day

September 9th is National Teddy Bear Day! Did you know that the Teddy Bear was named after President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt and it dates back to 1902?

In 1902, while hunting in Mississippi, President Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear cub. This show of compassion made national news and Clifford Berryman published a cartoon of the event in the Washington Post on November 16, 1902.

In 1902, American President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear cub while hunting in Mississippi. This incident made national news. Clifford Berryman published a cartoon of the event in the Washington Post on November 16th, 1902.  The caricature became an instant classic.

The cartoon inspired Morris Michtorn, a New York store owner to create a toy, and he wrote President Roosevelt to ask his permission to name the toy after him... the "Teddy Bear!"