Timeline Description: William McKinley was America's 25th president. He was leader of the nation during the Spanish-American War. He was also another of America's assassinated presidents.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1843 | William McKinley's birth William was born in Niles, Ohio and lived there his entire childhood. He was named after his father, and his official name was William McKinley, Jr. |
| 1859 | School graduation Eventually, William's parents moved the family to a different town in order for the children to attend better schools. William graduated and moved to Pennsylvania to attend college. |
| 1861 | The Civil War Along with several other young men in his family, William enlisted as a private in the Union Army. He went through a month of training before shipping out to the battle field. |
| 1863 | Advancement in rank William continued fighting in the army during the war. After two years of service he was promoted to second lieutenant. |
| 1864 | Victory in the war The fighting went on, and William and his regiment won several victories as they made their way south. They were stopped and sent back north in West Virginia. |
| 1865 | McKinley the lawyer When the war ended, William went into practicing law. He also met and married his wife, Ida Saxton. |
| 1876 | A successful career McKinley's career moved forward, and he continued to have success. When he took a big case defending a group of coal miners, and won, his standing in the community was raised. |
| 1877 | Congressman McKinley moved into politics as a US Congressman. He worked under President Hayes, though he learned to keep his distance since many didn't like Hayes. |
| 1880 | Continuing in politics McKinley's political career continued advancing. He served on the Republican National Committee for several years, and made many friend during that time. |
| 1891 | Governor of Ohio With McKinley's growing respect in the political community, he was able to secure the nomination for governor of Ohio. He won the election by over 20,000 votes. |
| 1896 | A Run for President McKinley's political hopes grew ever larger. Soon he found himself nominated to run for president. |
| 1897 | President! McKinley found himself president of the United States of America. He promised to focus on tariff (or tax) reform and currency reform. |
| February 1898 | Spanish-American War A year into his presidency, President McKinley found America under attack from the Spanish in Cuba. The US declared war. |
| September 1898 | The Treaty of Paris President McKinley was able to lead the country to the end of the war, and the Treaty of Paris was signed as a peace agreement. During this time, McKinley also looked into the annexation of Hawaii. |
| 1901 | Assassination McKinley was elected for a second term, due in part to his success during his first term. However, in September 1901 McKinley was assassinated while giving a speech at a fair ground in New York, and his second term as president quickly ended. |