Timeline Description: William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857 to March 30, 1930) was President of the United States and later a Supreme Court Justice. He spent much of his career focused on his political activity, before shifting to a legislative focus.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 15, 1857 | Birth of William Howard Taft William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1857. He was the son of Alphonso Taft, Secretary of War under President Ulysses Grant. |
| 1878 | Graduated from Yale In 1878, Taft graduated from Yale University, his father's alma mater. He was a member of the secret society, Skull and Bones, during college. |
| 1882 | Assistant Prosecutor for Hamlin County, Ohio By 1882, Taft was working as the assistant prosecutor for Hamlin County, Ohio. He also began to serve on the Cincinnati city council during this time. |
| 1887 | Supreme Court Justice of Cincinnati Taft was appointed Supreme Court Justice of Cincinnati in 1887. He maintained this position for a number of years. |
| 1900 | Governor General of the Philippines In 1900, Taft became Governor General of the Philippines. He went to the Philippines at the orders of President McKinley. |
| 1904 | Secretary of War Working closely with President Roosevelt, Taft was appointed Secretary of War. The two men wanted to work together to achieve shared political goals. |
| 1906 | Temporary Governor of Cuba In 1906, the United States occupied Cuba in the face of international tensions. Taft was appointed temporary governor of Cuba under Roosevelt. |
| 1908 | Presidential Nomination Taft agreed to run for president at the encouragement of President Theodore Roosevelt, who had had served in multiple capacities in the previous years. |
| 1912 | Created Chamber of Commerce As president, Taft created the Chamber of Commerce to support ethical business practices. |
| 1913 | Passage of Sixteenth Amendment The Sixteenth Amendment passed in 1913, providing new taxation systems for larger corporations. |
| 1913 | Second Run for President Taft ran for a second term as president in 1913. His enemies campaigned against him, and he was easily defeated. |
| 1921 | Nominated to Supreme Court President Harding nominated Taft to the Supreme Court in 1921. |
| February 1930 | Retired from Supreme Court After serving for nine years, Taft retired from the Supreme Court in February 1930. |
| March 8, 1930 | Death of William Howard Taft Taft died on March 8, 1930 at home. He was the first president buried at Arlington National Cemetary. |