Anton Cermak
The immigrant mayor who built Chicago's modern Democratic machine and died taking a bullet intended for President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
1873–1933 (age 60)·American politician·Birthday: May 9·The Gilded Age
Biography
Anton Cermak's story is a classic American political ascent. Born in what is now the Czech Republic, he arrived in Chicago as an infant and rose through the city's rough-and-tumble ward system. A savvy organizer, he consolidated power from his base as a Bohemian community leader, eventually becoming president of the Cook County Board. His 1931 mayoral victory was a watershed, breaking the Republican hold on City Hall and cementing Democratic dominance for decades. Cermak's tenure focused on navigating the Great Depression, but his legacy was sealed in Miami in 1933. Standing beside President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, he was shot by an assassin aiming for Roosevelt. His reported words, 'I'm glad it was me instead of you,' entered political folklore.
The Gilded Age
1860–1882
Born during or after the Civil War, they built industrial America — the railroads, the steel mills, the first skyscrapers. An era of massive wealth, massive inequality, and the belief that the future belonged to whoever could build it fastest.
Anton was born in 1873, placing them squarely in The Gilded Age. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1873
Anton's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1873Born
President: Ulysses S. Grant
1878Started school
President: Rutherford B. Hayes
1886Became a teenager
Statue of Liberty dedicated in New York Harbor
President: Grover Cleveland
1889Could drive
Eiffel Tower opens in Paris
President: Benjamin Harrison
1891Could vote
President: Benjamin Harrison
1894Turned 21
President: Grover Cleveland
1903Turned 30
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1913Turned 40
The Federal Reserve is established
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Turned 50
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1933Turned 60
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
Key Achievements
- Served as the 44th Mayor of Chicago from 1931 until his assassination in 1933.
- Built the foundation for the modern Chicago Democratic political machine.
- Was the first Chicago mayor born outside the United States.
- Previously served as a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and as President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners.
- Successfully challenged and defeated the Republican political establishment in Chicago.
Did You Know?
He was a trained cooper (barrel-maker) in his youth.
Cermak initially supported Prohibition but later reversed his stance, recognizing its failure.
The Chicago neighborhood of Cermak (22nd Street) is named in his honor.
His assassin, Giuseppe Zangara, was executed in the electric chair just 33 days after the shooting.
A statue of Cermak stands in Chicago's Grant Park.
“It's the precinct captain who wins the election, not the guy at the top.”
