Origins & Early Life

William McKinley (January 29, 1843 – September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party, he led a realignment that made Republicans largely dominant in the industrial states and nationwide for decades. McKinley successfully led the U.S. in the Spanish–American War and oversaw a period of American expansionism, with the annexations of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, and American Samoa.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

McKinley was the last president to have served in the American Civil War; he was the only one to begin his service as an enlisted man and end it as a brevet major. After the war, he settled in Canton, Ohio, where he practiced law and married Ida Saxton. In 1876, McKinley was elected to Congress, where he became the Republican expert on the protective tariff, believing protectionism would bring prosperity. His 1890 McKinley Tariff was highly controversial and, together with a Democratic Party redistricting aimed at gerrymandering him out of office, led to his defeat in the Democratic landslide of 1890. He was elected governor of Ohio in 1891 and 1893, steering a moderate course between capital and...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Friedrich Hölderlin — Contemporary (Died in 1843) (1843): Key German Romantic poet and philosopher, central to German Idealism.
• Gaspard-Gustave de Coriolis — Contemporary (Died in 1843) (1843): Pioneering French scientist known for the Coriolis effect and kinetic energy formulation.
• Henry James — Contemporary (Born in 1843) (1843): Master novelist bridging literary realism and modernism, known for psychological depth.
• Alberto Giacometti — Contemporary (Born in 1901) (1901): Swiss master of existential sculpture, known for elongated, fragile human figures.
• Alexandre Alexeieff — Contemporary (Born in 1901) (1901): Russian-born artist, filmmaker, and illustrator known for inventing the pinscreen technique.
• Alfred Tarski — Contemporary (Born in 1901) (1901): Pioneering logician known for model theory and the formal concept of truth.
• Abdus Salam — Shared historical date (01-29 · Born) (1926): Pioneering Pakistani theoretical physicist and Nobel laureate.
• Alexander Pushkin — Shared historical date (01-29 · Died) (1837): Founder of modern Russian literature and a towering figure of the Romantic era.
• Alexander von Humboldt — Shared historical date (09-14 · Born) (1769): German polymath, geographer, and naturalist who pioneered biogeography and modern science.
• Allan Bloom — Shared historical date (09-14 · Born) (1930): American philosopher and classicist known for championing Great Books education.
• 1843 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1843
• January 29 (01-29) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on January 29
• 1901 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1901
• September 14 (09-14) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 14