Theodore Roosevelt was born October 27, 1858 in New York City and was a fifth cousin to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. His mother came from an established Georgia family of Scotch-Irish and Huguenot ancestry. His father was was from a Dutch mercantile family that was long involved in city business; Roosevelt's father instilled in him a sense of civic responsibility and obligation. Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination of President William McKinley when he was just 42 years old. Although he was the youngest person ever to become president, he had 15 years of public service experience to his credit. Roosevelt was a dynamic leader and a strong nationalist who greatly expanded the power of the presidency.