 "History Today: Did you know the world’s first teddy bear was inspired by a US president?")
Today marks the day in 1903, when Morris Michtom, a small toy store owner, put two stuffed bears in his Brooklyn shop window for sale. Inspired by a story about then-US President Theodore Roosevelt, Michtom’s creation soon became known as the ‘Teddy’ bear and went on to become a mainstay for children across the world.
We take a look at this and some other defining moments in history that took place on this day in Firstpost Explainers’ ongoing series History Today .
On 15 February 1965, at the stroke of noon, Canada’s iconic red and white maple leaf flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill, symbolising a defining moment in the nation’s history.
Meanwhile, on this day in 1898, a massive explosion destroyed the USS Maine in Havana Harbour, Cuba, killing over 260 American crew members, and setting the stage for the Spanish-American War.
Let’s take a look.
First ‘Teddy’ bear goes on sale
Exactly 122 years ago today, Morris Michtom placed the first “Teddy bear” in the window of his Brooklyn toy shop, naming it after President Theodore Roosevelt’s nickname, Teddy.
Michtom got the idea for the name after seeing a political cartoon published in The Washington Post on 16 November 1902. Drawn by Pulitzer-winning artist Clifford Berryman, the satirical cartoon at an incident from Roosevelt’s hunting trip in Mississippi.
During the trip, Roosevelt reportedly encountered an old, injured black bear that his guides had tied to a willow tree. Despite being an experienced hunter, he refused to shoot the bear, considering it “extremely unsportsmanlike”.
According to the National Park Service website, Roosevelt said, “I’ve hunted game all over America and I’m proud to be a hunter. But I couldn’t be proud of myself if I shot an old, tired, worn-out bear that was tied to a tree.”
News of Roosevelt’s compassionate act quickly spread across the country, capturing the public imagination. Political cartoonists began depicting the bear as a cub, suggesting that beneath Roosevelt’s rugged, outdoorsman persona was a softer, more compassionate side.
Inspired by the story, Michtom and his wife, Rose, stitched together a small stuffed bear with button eyes and displayed it in their shop window with the name “Teddy’s Bear.”
According to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the president later gave Michtom permission to use his nickname for his new product which was an overnight hit.
The success of the Teddy bear resulted in a career shift for the Michtoms, who founded Ideal Novelty and Toy Co. in 1907.
Birth of Canada’s national flag
On this day in 1965, Canada officially adopted its iconic red-and-white maple leaf flag, a defining symbol of the nation’s identity.
Before this, Canada had used the Red Ensign, a flag that featured the Union Jack in one corner and a shield with provincial coats of arms from around 1870 to 1924. However, as Canada grew into an independent nation, the need for a distinctive flag became evident.
In the 1960s, as Canada’s centennial of self-rule approached, the push for a new national flag gained momentum.
In December 1964, after extensive debate, Parliament approved the final design: a red and white flag featuring an 11-point stylised maple leaf at its centre. The colour scheme had been declared Canada’s official colour by King George V in 1921, while the flag’s design was proposed by George Stanley, a professor at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario.
On 15 February 1965, Queen Elizabeth II proclaimed the new flag’s official adoption, and it was raised for the first time over Parliament Hill.
One of America’s first battleships explodes
On this day in 1898, a devastating explosion sank the USS Maine, one of the United States’ first battleships, in Havana Harbour, Cuba. The blast claimed the lives of over 260 American crew members and became a pivotal moment in US history.
The USS Maine had been sent to Cuba on a friendly visit to safeguard American interests after a rebellion against Spanish rule erupted in Havana in January.
In March, an official US Naval Court of Inquiry determined that the ship had been destroyed by a mine, though it did not explicitly blame Spain. However, much of Congress and the American public were convinced of Spanish involvement, fuelling calls for war.
Within three months, US forces decisively defeated Spain on both land and sea. By August, an armistice was reached, and on 12 December 1898, the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the Spanish-American War. The agreement saw Spain cede Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.
Decades later, in 1976, American naval investigators concluded that the explosion was most likely caused by a fire that ignited the ship’s ammunition stockpiles—rather than a Spanish mine or act of sabotage.
This Day, That Year
Under President Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union withdrew its last troops from Afghanistan after occupying the country since 1979.
Susan B. Anthony, a pioneer crusader for the women’s suffrage movement in the US, was born in Adams, Massachusetts.
Auguste Chouteau settled St. Louis at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.
With input from agencies
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