Question 1

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt was a vegetarian throughout his life.

Accepted Answer

False. Theodore Roosevelt was an avid hunter and meat-eater, famously enjoying big-game hunting and consuming a carnivorous diet.

Question 2

True or false: Roosevelt’s famous quote 'Speak softly and carry a big stick' comes from an African proverb.

Accepted Answer

False. No African proverb matching this phrase has ever been found. Roosevelt said it was West African, but historians agree it's likely his own invention.

Question 3

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt was the first American to win the Nobel Peace Prize while serving as president.

Accepted Answer

True. Roosevelt won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the end of the Russo-Japanese War, becoming the first U.S. president to receive the award while in office.

Question 4

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt was the first U.S. president to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Accepted Answer

True. Theodore Roosevelt won the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, making him the first president to receive the award.

Question 5

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt served as Assistant Secretary of the Navy before becoming president.

Accepted Answer

True. Theodore Roosevelt was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 1897 under President McKinley, a role that prepared him for his later presidency.

Question 6

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt was elected president in 1912 as a third-party candidate from the Progressive Party.

Accepted Answer

False. Theodore Roosevelt ran as the Progressive Party candidate in 1912 but lost to Democrat Woodrow Wilson; he did not win the election.

Question 7

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt earned a law degree from Harvard University.

Accepted Answer

False. Theodore Roosevelt graduated from Harvard College but studied law at Columbia Law School without earning a degree; he left to enter politics.

Question 8

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt flew in an airplane while he was President of the United States.

Accepted Answer

False. Theodore Roosevelt flew in an airplane in 1910, but that was after his presidency ended in 1909; no sitting president flew until later.

Question 9

True or false: Roosevelt once survived an assassination attempt where the bullet was slowed by his speech and glasses case.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1912, a would-be assassin shot him in the chest; the bullet was slowed by a 50-page speech and metal glasses case, lodging in his chest without causing fatal injury.

Question 10

True or false: After leaving the presidency, Roosevelt served as chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Accepted Answer

False. He never served on the Court. He did run for president again in 1912 as a third-party candidate, but never held a judicial office.

Question 11

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to fly in an airplane while in office.

Accepted Answer

False. That was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Teddy was a rough rider, but he left office in 1909, years before practical powered flight took off.

Question 12

True or false: Roosevelt had a pet badger named Josiah at the White House.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, the Roosevelt children kept a menagerie at the White House that included a badger named Josiah, along with a pony, snakes, and a one-legged rooster.

Question 13

True or false: Roosevelt was the first president to ride in a submarine and an automobile while in office.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1905, he submerged in the USS Plunger, and he famously rode in a steam-powered car. Both were presidential firsts.

Question 14

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt had a pet badger named Josiah while living in the White House.

Accepted Answer

True. Theodore Roosevelt's family kept many exotic pets, including a badger named Josiah, which was a gift from a supporter.

Question 15

True or false: Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest during a 1912 campaign speech and continued speaking for 90 minutes.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1912, a would-be assassin shot Theodore Roosevelt in the chest, but he delivered his planned 90-minute speech before seeking medical attention.

Question 16

True or false: Roosevelt once boxed regularly in the White House and accidentally blinded his sparring partner.

Accepted Answer

False. He did box in the White House, but it was Roosevelt who lost sight in one eye during a match with a military aide. The sparring partner was not blinded.

Theodore Roosevelt Trivia Questions