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N0KFQ > TODAY 15.02.17 14:42l 39 Lines 1578 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 23130_N0KFQ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - Feb 15
Path: IW8PGT<CX2SA<N0KFQ
Sent: 170215/1336Z 23130@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ6.0.13
1903
First Teddy bear goes on sale
On this day in 1903, toy store owner and inventor Morris Michtom
places two stuffed bears in his shop window, advertising them as
Teddy bears. Michtom had earlier petitioned President Theodore
Roosevelt for permission to use his nickname, Teddy. The
president agreed and, before long, other toy manufacturers began
turning out copies of Michtom's stuffed bears, which soon became
a national childhood institution.
One of Theodore Roosevelt's hunting expeditions provided the
inspiration for the Teddy bear. Ironically, though he was an avid
conservationist, Roosevelt-led hunting trips often resulted in
excessive slaughter, including one African trip during which his
party killed more than 6,000 animals for sport and trophies.
However, the idea for the teddy bear likely arose out of one of
Roosevelt's more compassionate acts.
Reports differ as to the exact details of the inspiration behind
the teddy bear, but it is thought that while hunting in
Mississippi in 1902, Roosevelt came upon an old injured black
bear that his guides had tied to a tree. (The age, sex and state
of health of the bear remain contested.) While some reports claim
Roosevelt shot the bear out of pity for his suffering, others
insist he set the bear free. Political cartoonists later
portrayed the bear as a cub, implying that under the tough,
outdoorsy and macho image of Roosevelt lay a much softer, more
sensitive interior.
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
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