William McKinley was the twenty-fifth president of the United States.  He was known for his love and care of his wife, Ida Saxton McKinley, who was sick for many years.  She was epileptic and had a seizure at the ball for President McKinley's second inauguration.

Important events during President McKinley's administration were:

• Prospectors from the United States join the gold rush in  Alaska in 1897.

• The U.S.S. Maine was blown up in Havana harbor on February 15, 1898.

• The United States declared war against Spain on April 25, 1898.

• Congress passed an act to annex Hawaii to the United States on July 7, 1898.

• The Treaty of Paris was signed on December 10, 1898.  Spain gave Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines to the United States.  The United States became a world power.

• Nearly 76 million people now lived in the United States.

• The first automobile show took place in New York City, New York, November 3rd to 10th, 1900.

William McKinley was:

• the fifth President born in Ohio.

• the seventh President whose mother was alive when he became President.

• the fifth President to die in office.

• the third President to be assassinated.

• the second President assassinated who was born in Ohio.

• the fifth President from Ohio to be elected in twenty-eight years.