October 27, 1858: President Theodore Roosevelt Is BornOn this day in 1858, Teddy Roosevelt was born

October 27, 1858: President Theodore Roosevelt Is Born

On this day in 1858, Teddy Roosevelt was born in New York City. 

Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt were the most prominent members of one of the most important families in American history. Theodore and Franklin occupied the White House for nineteen of the first forty-five years of the twentieth century, years during which much of the modern world – and the modern state – was created. They shared an unfeigned love for people and politics and a willingness to defy class prejudices to help create a true democracy of equal opportunity.

Along with Eleanor, Theodore’s best-loved niece and Franklin’s wife, all three overcame personal obstacles as they independently – and collectively – transformed the model of a nation’s responsibility to its citizens and the wider world.

Take a look at a timeline of key events during Theodore, Franklin, and Eleanor Roosevelt’s lifetimes using photos, quotes, and clips from Ken Burns’s The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.

Image: Official White House portrait by John Singer Sargent