On February 15, 1903, toy store owner and inventor Morris Michtom began our still-continuing love affair with stuffed bears when he placed two toy bears in his shop window and called them Teddy bears. Michtom contacted President Theodore Roosevelt directly for permission to use his nickname for the bears. Known for both hunting and conservation, the president agreed. Today when we see a stuffed bear, we still think of it as a Teddy bear.
