A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, named after President Theodore Roosevelt, became a popular children's toy and has been celebrated in story, song, and film.
Since the creation of the first teddy bears which sought to imitate the form of real bear cubs, "teddies" have greatly varied in form, style, color, and material. They have become collector's items, with older and rarer teddies appearing at public auctions. Teddy bears are among the most popular gifts for children and are often given to adults to signify affection, congratulations, or sympathy.
The name teddy bear comes from former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, who was often referred to as "Teddy" (though he loathed being referred to as such). The name originated from an incident on a bear hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902, to which Roosevelt was invited by Mississippi Governor Andrew H. Longino. There were several other hunters competing, and most of them had already killed an animal. A suite of Roosevelt's attendants, led by Holt Collier, cornered, clubbed, and tied an American black bear to a willow tree after a long exhausting chase with hounds. They called Roosevelt to the site and suggested that he shoot it. He refused to shoot the bear himself, deeming this unsportsmanlike, but instructed that the bear be killed to put it out of its misery, and it became the topic of a political cartoon by Clifford Berryman in The Washington Post on November 16, 1902. While the initial cartoon of an adult black bear lassoed by a handler and a disgusted Roosevelt had symbolic overtones, later issues of that and other Berryman cartoons made the bear smaller and cuter.
Morris Michtom saw the Berryman drawing of Roosevelt and was inspired to create a teddy bear. He created a tiny soft bear cub and put it in his candy shop window at 404 Tompkins Avenue in Brooklyn with a sign "Teddy's bear." The toys were an immediate success and Michtom founded the Ideal Novelty and Toy Co.
A little earlier in 1902 in Germany, the Steiff firm produced a stuffed bear from Richard Steiff's designs. Steiff exhibited the toy at the Leipzig Toy Fair in March 1903, where it was seen by Hermann Berg, a buyer for George Borgfeldt & Company in New York (and the brother of composer Alban Berg). He ordered 3,000 to be sent to the United States. Although Steiff's records show that the bears were produced, they are not recorded as arriving in the U.S., and no example of the type, "55 PB", has ever been seen, leading to the story that the bears were shipwrecked. However, the shipwreck story is disputed – author Günther Pfeiffer notes that it was only recorded in 1953 and says it is more likely that the 55 PB was not sufficiently durable to survive until the present day. Although Steiff and Michtom were both making teddy bears at around the same time, neither would have known of the other's creation due to poor transatlantic communication.
North American educator Seymour Eaton wrote the children's book series The Roosevelt Bears, while composer John Walter Bratton wrote an instrumental "The Teddy Bears' Picnic", a "characteristic two-step", in 1907, which later had words written to it by lyricist Jimmy Kennedy in 1932.
Early teddy bears were made to look like real bears, with extended snouts and beady eyes. Modern teddy bears tend to have larger eyes and foreheads and smaller noses, babylike features intended to enhance the toy's "cuteness". Some teddy bears are also designed to represent different species, such as polar bears and brown bears, as well as pandas and koalas.
While early teddy bears were covered in tawny mohair fur, modern teddy bears are manufactured in a wide variety of commercially available fabrics, most commonly synthetic fur, but also velour, denim, cotton, satin, and canvas.
Because police, fire and medical officials found that giving a teddy bear to a child during a crisis stabilized and calmed them, NAPLC created the Teddy Bear Cops program to distribute teddy bears to police, fire, and medical responders throughout the United States.
My teddy bear....
- 1 refrigerated pie crust (from a 14.1-ounce package)
- 3 tablespoons Caesar dressing, divided
- 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup slivered red onion
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400º. Unroll pie crust and place on a pizza pan; set aside.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon Caesar dressing; saute green pepper and onion 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add spinach, tomatoes, olives, 1/4 cup feta cheese, black pepper, and remaining Caesar dressing; toss until evenly coated.
- Spoon vegetable mixture onto pie crust, leaving a 1-1/2-inch border. Fold the edges of the pie crust toward the center, overlapping slightly and covering about 1-inch of vegetable mixture. Top with remaining feta cheese.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.
As the holidays approach, National Seat Belt Day on November 14th encourages everyone to buckle up to save lives. No matter where you sit in a vehicle, wearing a seat belt is proven to save lives.
Just over 90 percent of Americans buckle up, saving an estimated 15,000 lives each year. However, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 47 percent of passenger fatalities in 2017 were not restrained. Seat belts are proven to reduce the risk of serious injury and save lives.
It’s been 60 years since the invention of the three-point seat belt, and this restraint has saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Since then, the industry has added advanced safety devices to automobiles. However, alone, many of these advancements may not save a life unless a seat belt restrains the driver and passengers. Airbags, for example, work most effectively when paired with proper seat belt use. On its own, the force with which an airbag deploys can be fatal without the restraining hold of a seat belt.
During this holiday travel season and every season, be sure everyone buckles up. Everyone safely arriving will be worth celebrating!
HOW TO OBSERVE
Everyone buckle up every time. Drivers, ensure each passenger buckles up, too. No matter if it’s a quick trip to the store or a road trip to see family, before you hit the road, buckle your seat belt. Even when ridesharing, buckling up is just as important. Encourage others to wear their seat belts, too. Let them know how important it is to see them alive and safe. For parents, let your children see you buckling up every time. And when they remind you (because we know they do), listen.
Accidents aren’t ever planned and occur in an instant. There’s never enough time to put on a seat belt as an accident happens, but there is always time before you leave the driveway.
NATIONAL SEAT BELT DAY HISTORY
In 2019, the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), Volvo, and Uber teamed up to remind everyone of the importance of buckling up by launching National Seat Belt Day. The first year marked the 60th anniversary of the modern seat belt’s invention, which was created by Volvo.
In 2020, the Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed National Seat Belt Day to be observed on November 14th, annually.
