Teddy bears are soft toys that everyone has probably played with at some point in their lives or is aware of their existence. However, most people are unaware of how these soft toys were created. Videos of the story behind the invention of teddies have recently gone viral on the internet.
Netizens were astounded when social media users began sharing the story behind the invention of teddies and how this soft toy got its name.
The story of the teddy bear begins in 1902, when the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was invited to Mississippi for hunting. The hunt, on the other hand, took a U-turn and gifted the world with a cute fluffy soft toy.
Theodore Roosevelt’s refusal to kill a bear led to the invention of teddy bears
The creation of these soft toys was inspired by the 26th American President Theodore Roosevelt, also known as Teddy. With his nickname, it’s obvious how this soft toy got his first name, but the latter part of the name has an interesting backstory.
According to History.com, President Theodore Roosevelt was a man with a strong personality who enjoyed hunting. As a result, on November 14, 1902, he was invited to Mississippi to join Andrew Longino, the governor of Mississippi, on a bear hunt.
Everyone except Roosevelt hunted the bear, which embarrassed the governor. As a result, Roosevelt’s assistant tied a bear to a willow tree and ensured that the President could now hunt him. President Roosevelt, disgusted by the situation, refused to kill the bear.
This incident became the high point of the President’s visit to Mississippi. After reading about the incident in a news article, cartoonist Clifford Berryman created a political cartoon that was published in The Washington Post. Roosevelt was shown in the cartoon refusing to kill the bear.
Later, this cartoon inspired a stuffed toy manufacturer to create a cute fluffy bear and call it a teddy bear with permission from President Roosevelt. Furthermore, the makers of soft toys established their own company by the same name.
How are social media users reacting after learning about the invention story?
Recently, a TikTok trend has emerged in which users explain why now-famous things were created. The creation of teddy bears and the reason for it is currently making the rounds on TikTok.