How did the teddy bear get its name?

Theodore Roosevelt was born in 1858 and he died in 1919. During the Spanish-American war of 1898 he commanded a cavalry force known as the "rough-riders". He was President of the United States from 1901 to 1909.

One day he was out in the wilds hunting bears when he came across a little bear cub and, because it was so small and cuddly, he could not kill it but let it wander off.

An American newspaper heard the story and published a cartoon showing Theodore Roosevelt with the little animal. Some time later, a toy maker wrote to the president asking for permission to make a soft, cuddly toy bear and name it after him. As Theodore Roosevelt's nickname was "Teddy" Roosevelt, the toy maker wanted to call his toy a "Teddy" bear.

Ever nice then, one of the favourite toys of young children everywhere has been a teddy bear.