1902 Theodore Roosevelt takes a ride
On this day, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. chief executive to ride in an automobile. His first drive took place in Hartford, Connecticut, adding yet another first to Roosevelt's presidential accomplishments. He was also the first president to entertain an African-American in the White House. With a reputation for aggressiveness, righteousness, and pride, Roosevelt was not the kind of man to fear uncharted waters; he also wrote almost 40 books, cleared the building of the Panama Canal, and won a Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions toward the resolution of the Russo-Japanese War.