What a spectacle it was! Magnificent avenues sided with majestic buildings and exhibition halls that was the marvel of the world for the better part of the year 1900. The crown jewel of the Pan American Exposition was, indeed, the electric lights which pierced every night like a canopy of fireflies, bringing wonder and awe to the thousands of visitors who packed the exposition.

The Pan American Exposition was a world event which highlighted the new century and the amazing technological achievements dawning on the edge of time. It was also an expression of culture, with extensive displays showing customs and traditions of many ethnic groups from around the world.

But the Pan American Exposition of 1900 has not been remembered for the technological advancements on display. An event that occurred on September 6 at the fair has forever overshadowed the everything else about the exposition.

When President William McKinley arrived at the exposition, he set aside the time to meet the public in the Temple of Music. A young man named Leon Czolgosz approached the president, hiding a handgun under a handkerchief and fired at the president at point blank. Eight days later, he died. Motive? Czolgosz was known to run in circles with the anarchist movement at the time, and he was going to prove to that world that he belonged.

Interestingly, Czolgosz’s legacy has not lived on like a John-Wilkes Booth or a Lee Harvey Oswalt. His deed is mainly forgotten today, but he played a huge role in completely changing the United States of America.

How did he do that? Well, by killing McKinley, he brought a tough taking, no-nonsense, young and vibrant New Yorker to the oval office. You can see his face today on Mt. Rushmore: Theodore Roosevelt.