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The Taj Mahal is covered in
white marble and gemstones.
(See Taj Mahal.)
A tapir has a soft, flexible
snout like a short elephant
trunk. It also has hoofed feet
like those of a horse.
(See Tapir.)
People first drank tea as a kind
of medicine.
(See Tea.)
Tigers live in the wild in China,
Russia, and the southern parts
of Asia.
(See Tiger.)
In 1985 deep-sea explorers
found the remains of the Titanic
near the Canadian island of
Newfoundland.
(See Titanic.)
Tutankhamen became a ruler of
ancient Egypt as a child.
(See Tutankhamen.)
T tt
Taft,William
Howard
William Howard Taft was president of
the United States from 1909 to 1913.
He later served as chief justice of the
U.S. Supreme Court. He is the only
person to have held the country’s two
highest offices.
Early Life
William Howard Taft was born into a
wealthy family on September 15, 1857,
in Cincinnati, Ohio. His parents were
Alphonso Taft and Louisa Maria Torrey.
His father was secretary of war and
attorney general under President Ulysses
S. Grant.
Taft graduated from Yale University in
1878 and Cincinnati Law School in
1880. He married Helen (Nellie) Herron
in 1886. They had three children.
In 1887 Taft became a judge of the
superior court of Ohio. He was named a
judge of a U.S. circuit court in 1892.
Political Career
In 1900 PresidentWilliam McKinley
asked Taft to organize a government for
the Philippines. The country had come
under U.S. control after the Spanish-
AmericanWar of 1898. In 1901 Taft
became governor of the Philippines. Taft
returned home in 1904 to serve as secre-
September 15, March 8,
1857 1901 1908 1912 1921 1930 1930
Taft is born in
Cincinnati,
Ohio.
Taft becomes
governor of the
Philippines.
Taft is elected
president.
Taft and
Theodore
Roosevelt lose
the presidential
election to
Woodrow Wilson.
Taft becomes
chief justice
of the U.S.
Supreme Court.
Taft resigns
from the Court.
Taft dies in
Washington,
D.C.
T I M E L I N E
William Howard Taft was the 27th
president of the United States.
4 Taft, William Howard BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
tary of war under President Theodore
Roosevelt.
Presidency
Roosevelt supported Taft in the presidential
election of 1908. He believed
that Taft would continue his reforms. A
Republican, Taft defeated the Democrat
William Jennings Bryan to become
president.
As president, Taft failed to solve the
growing split between conservative and
progressive Republicans. The progressives
wanted Taft to continue Roosevelt’s
reforms. Taft did continue to attack the
big business groups known as trusts.
However, Taft disappointed progressives
by approving a high tariff, or tax on
imports. He also refused to hire progressives
as his advisers.
Roosevelt and the progressives soon left
the Republican Party to form the Progressive
Party. In the 1912 presidential
election the Republican Taft ran against
the Progressive Roosevelt and the
DemocratWoodrowWilson. The split
in the Republican Party allowedWilson
to win the election.
Later Years
After leaving office Taft taught law at
Yale University. In 1921 PresidentWarren
G. Harding appointed Taft chief
justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Taft
was happier in this post than he was as
president. He helped the Court to work
faster and to focus on the most important
national cases.
Suffering from heart disease, Taft
resigned on February 3, 1930. He died
on March 8 inWashington, D.C.
#More to explore
Harding,Warren G. • Philippines
• Roosevelt, Theodore • United States
• United States Government
Taiga
The taiga is one of the major biomes of
the world. Biomes are regions with similar
climates and plants and animals. The
main feature of the taiga is its conifer
forests. Conifers are trees that form seeds
inside cones. The taiga grows across the
northern parts of Europe, Asia, and
North America. Another name for taiga
is boreal forest.
Features
In addition to its forests the taiga is
known for its long, cold, snowy winters
and short, cool summers. It lies just
south of the cold, treeless area called the
tundra. Where the two regions meet,
there are few trees. The forests are
Shallow ponds and cone-bearing trees are
common sights in the taiga.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Taiga 5
thicker in the southern taiga. Many
lakes and bogs are found in the taiga.
Life in the Taiga
The main trees of the taiga are conifers
with needle-shaped leaves. In the south,
trees with broad leaves—for example,
alders, aspens, and birches—grow
among the conifers. Mosses, liverworts,
and lichens grow on tree trunks, rocks,
and the ground.
The conifers in the taiga have features
that help them to survive in the cold,
snowy climate. Their branches point
downward. This helps snow to slide off
easily and keeps the branches from
