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Today in History: Theodore Roosevelt becomes youngest U.S. President

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 10:37 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

Eight days after William McKinley was mortally wounded at Buffalo’s Pan-American Exposition, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency on September 14, 1901. At 42, he became the nation’s youngest president, inheriting the executive branch and command of the armed forces amid a period of rapid American expansion.

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Story summary

Eight days after William McKinley was mortally wounded at Buffalo’s Pan-American Exposition, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt assumed the presidency on September 14, 1901. At 42, he became the nation’s youngest president, inheriting the executive branch and command of the armed forces amid a period of rapid American expansion.