President Theodore Roosevelt presided over a period of significant change in the United States, and had many notable accomplishments in the areas of business, conservation, and social change.
Here are nine interesting facts about Roosevelt's time in the nation's highest office.
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1. At 42 years, 10 months, and 18 days old, Roosevelt was the youngest man to serve as president, which occurred when William McKinley was assassinated. He was also the first vice president to succeed a slain president, and then later win an election. Seven presidents were in their 40s when elected, with John F. Kennedy the next youngest at 43.
2. Among his many accomplishments, Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an airplane, ride in and own a car, and dive in a submarine.
3. An advocate for social change, he once had Booker T. Washington and his family over for dinner with his family, and became the first president to invite an African-American to the White House.
4. Though it wouldn't become reality until 1948, Roosevelt first advocated a Jewish homeland in Palestine in 1917, and spoke in favor of the establishment of a League of Nations.
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5. He won the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize for his help in negotiating peace between Russia and Japan.
6. He strengthened government regulation and safety standards of food and medicine with the passage of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act in 1906.
7. A strong advocate for conservation, Roosevelt set aside large swaths of western land for national forests and public use.
8. He helped ensure the final construction of the Panama Canal by taking over the suspended project from France in 1904. It was completed 10 years later, and opened on Aug. 15, 1914, five years after Roosevelt left office.
9. Roosevelt believed that it was imperative to "Speak softly and carry a big stick," which would become one of his most quotable phrases. The implication is that control could be acquired without always resorting to military force, as the "big stick" suggested the threat of war.
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