William McKinley 1843 – 1901

Biography

William McKinley rose from modest roots in Niles, Ohio, to become the nation’s 25th president, steering America through a transformative era at the turn of the twentieth century. His presidency, spanning 1897 to 1901, proved consequential—a period when the young nation flexed its growing muscle on the world stage and expanded its global influence during pivotal international moments.

McKinley’s tenure was abruptly, shockingly cut short on September 14, 1901, when he was struck down by a gunshot wound in Buffalo, New York. The assassination of a sitting president sent shockwaves through the nation, leaving Americans reeling from the sudden loss of their leader and thrusting the country into an unexpected transition of power.

Today, McKinley rests at the McKinley National Memorial in Canton, Ohio—a solemn monument to his brief but impactful presidency and the indelible mark he left on American history during those crucial early years of the new century.