The Teddy bear

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Who

Morris Michtom, a Russian-Jewish immigrant shopkeeper in Brooklyn who co-founded the Ideal Toy Company.

When

1902–1903

Where

Brooklyn, New York, United States

Inspired by a 1902 cartoon of President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt refusing to shoot a bear, Morris Michtom made a stuffed bear and, with permission to use the president's name, sold it as 'Teddy's bear'. Its success led him to found the Ideal Toy Company. Michtom was a Jewish immigrant from the Russian Empire; a similar bear was developed independently in Germany by the Steiff company.

Sources

Part of “The Gifts of the Jews” — verified Jewish contributions to the world, with sources.