Theodore Roosevelt

Biography

Roosevelt — cowboy, naturalist, historian, war hero, police commissioner, governor, president — seemed to contain a dozen careers. His presidency nationalised conservation, broke monopolies, and projected American power abroad, and even out of office he outran politics: an African safari, a third-party run, and a bullet taken mid-speech in 1912.

American statesman who, as the 26th president, championed the 'Square Deal', conservation and an assertive foreign policy.

Known for

Trust-busting, conservation and the Panama Canal.

Notable works & defining projects

• U.S. presidency (1901–1909)
• National parks & conservation system
• The Rough Riders

Notable achievements

• As president (1901-1909) established five national parks and some 230 million acres of public lands
• Won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War — the first American to win a Nobel Prize
• Oversaw the start of construction of the Panama Canal

Timeline

1. 1898Led the Rough Riders up Kettle Hill in the Spanish-American War
2. 1901Succeeded the assassinated President McKinley
3. 1906Won the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating peace between Russia and Japan

Did you know?

• A sickly, asthmatic child, he rebuilt his body through relentless exercise — the original 'strenuous life'
• He became president at 42, the youngest in U.S. history, after McKinley's assassination