"After all, what are birthdays? Here today and gone tomorrow." ~ A. A. Milne
Writer Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956) was born on this day in London, England and was the creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, the most famous bear in the world.
According to the BBC News, Pooh first appeared in a story called The Wrong Sort of Bees, written for the London Evening News on Christmas Eve 1925.
Milne wrote Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh (1928), the charming tales of Pooh bear and his friends, Tigger (the original "Yahoo"), Piglet (a forever friend), Rabbit (always rushing) and Eeyore (delightful Mr. Negative).
Milne's words about life in the Hundred Acre Woods, written for his only son, Christopher Robin, were brought to life by the line drawings of Ernest H. Shepard. He debuted as a Disney cartoon character in the 1966.
Pooh is more popular today than ever before. In April 2006, the beloved bear received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, joining his animated peers Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse.
"You really are worth the bother," praised Disney CEO Robert Inge. Pooh raked in $5.9 billion for the company in 2002.
Children... and their parents... continue to be touched by the timeless wisdom and of the rich stories. The secret may be that as Milne wrote for his son, the tales revitalized his own boyhood memories and gave voice to the child in everyone.
"A children's book," he explained, "must be written, not for children, but for the author himself."
"Nobody can be un-cheered with a balloon," said Pooh. Nobody can be un-cheered with Pooh.
