William Howard Taft | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/william-howard-taft/RSS feed for William Howard TaftenTue, 09 Jun 2026 11:45:00 +0000Theodore Roosevelt Survived an Assassination Attempt Because a Speech Tucked Inside His Pocket Slowed the Bullet. He Insisted on Delivering His Remarks Anywayhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/theodore-roosevelt-survived-an-assassination-attempt-because-a-speech-tucked-inside-his-pocket-slowed-the-bullet-he-insisted-on-delivering-his-remarks-anyway-180988911/"I am very much uninterested in whether I am shot or not," he told an audience in Milwaukee. Newly discovered documents shed light on how the 26th president wanted the incident to shape his legacyTue, 09 Jun 2026 11:45:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/theodore-roosevelt-survived-an-assassination-attempt-because-a-speech-tucked-inside-his-pocket-slowed-the-bullet-he-insisted-on-delivering-his-remarks-anyway-180988911/Popular Lore Claims That William Howard Taft Got Stuck in a Bathtub. New Research Sheds Light on the Legend's Forgotten Originshttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/popular-lore-claims-that-william-howard-taft-got-stuck-in-a-bathtub-new-research-sheds-light-on-the-legends-forgotten-origins-180988386/A long-overlooked 1929 account contains the earliest known reference to the anecdote, suggesting that the 27th president found himself trapped in a tub during a Mississippi River voyageMon, 23 Mar 2026 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/popular-lore-claims-that-william-howard-taft-got-stuck-in-a-bathtub-new-research-sheds-light-on-the-legends-forgotten-origins-180988386/How a Stuffed Animal Named Billy Possum Tried—and Failed—to Replace the Teddy Bear as America's National Toyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-stuffed-animal-named-billy-possum-triedand-failedto-replace-the-teddy-bear-as-americas-national-toy-180986072/In 1909, wealthy widow Susie W. Allgood marketed a plush marsupial inspired by President William Howard Taft. But children thought the toy looked "too much like a rat," and it sold poorlyMon, 03 Mar 2025 11:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-a-stuffed-animal-named-billy-possum-triedand-failedto-replace-the-teddy-bear-as-americas-national-toy-180986072/Six Innovative Ways Humans Have Kept Cool Throughout Historyhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/six-innovative-ways-humans-have-kept-cool-throughout-history-180984749/From sleeping porches to coastal escapes, these tips and tricks helped people deal with extreme heat before the advent of air-conditioningFri, 26 Jul 2024 11:15:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/six-innovative-ways-humans-have-kept-cool-throughout-history-180984749/Library of Congress' Presidential Papers, From Washington's Geometry Notes to Wilson's Love Letters, Are Now Onlinehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/explore-american-history-never-through-newly-digitized-presidential-papers-180976575/Four newly added collections mark the conclusion of a two-decade digitization projectThu, 17 Dec 2020 19:29:09 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/explore-american-history-never-through-newly-digitized-presidential-papers-180976575/Chief Justice, Not President, Was William Howard Taft’s Dream Jobhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/chief-justice-not-president-was-william-howard-tafts-dream-job-180961279/The 27th president arguably left a more lasting mark on the nation as leader of the Supreme CourtMon, 05 Dec 2016 13:34:27 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/chief-justice-not-president-was-william-howard-tafts-dream-job-180961279/Taft’s Bathtubs Weighed A Tonhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tafts-bathtubs-weighed-ton-180951871/Taft might not have really gotten stuck in a bathtub, but he did seem to have a fondness for themThu, 26 Jun 2014 15:13:16 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tafts-bathtubs-weighed-ton-180951871/