Teddy Bear Day

February 22 is Teddy Bear Day, a celebration of that cuddly, stuffed animal, named for the 26th president of the United States, Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt Jr.

How did the bear get to be named “Teddy”? The name stems from an incident on a presidential hunting trip to Mississippi in 1902, where Roosevelt refused to shoot a tethered bear, citing it was unsportsmanlike. A subsequent political cartoon gave the incident racial overtones, but that was forgotten when Brooklyn store owner, Morris Michtom displayed a stuffed bear in his shop window, calling it “Teddy’s Bear.”

At the same time German toymaker, Steiff imported more than 3000 bears to the United States. The bears were a huge hit and Michtom went on to found the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, which still exists today.