Profile of the Day: William McKinley

William McKinley

Today we remember William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, who was born on this day in 1843.

McKinley was born on January 29, 1843 in Niles, Ohio to William McKinley, Sr. and Nancy Campbell Allison. At the beginning of the American Civil War, McKinley joined the Union army as a private and eventually rose to the rank of brevet major before he was discharged. He would be the last president to have served in the Civil War.

In 1897, McKinley was sworn in as the 25th President of the United States. During his presidency, McKinley led the country to victory in the Spanish-American War. At the end of the brief war, the United States had acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines.

In 1901, he was sworn into his second term in office with Theodore Roosevelt as his Vice President. Six months into his second term, McKinley was shot by an anarchist. He died from his injuries eight days later on September 14, 1901. He would be the third president to be assassinated, following Abraham Lincoln and James Garfield.

Explore William McKinley’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the 25th President of the United States.
 

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Image: Library of Congress