Fast Facts: Winnie-the-Pooh Day!

Winnie-the-Pooh creator A.A. Milne would have turned 125 on Jan. 18, 2007. Read on and find out how the whole "bother" started and why Pooh has become a permanent fixture in the hearts and minds of many.

FAST FACTS:

1. Alan Alexander Milne was born in London, Jan. 18, 1882.
He wrote three 'Winnie-the-Pooh' books, several short stories and poems for children, as well as adult novels, mysteries, articles and plays. He was an assistant editor at 'Punch Magazine' for eight years. He died in 1956.

2. The Walt Disney Company acknowledges Pooh as one its most beloved characters. Second only to Mickey Mouse, Pooh has worldwide appeal. Disney brought Pooh to film in a 1966 featurette, 'Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree.' In 1977, Disney released ‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh,’ and in 1997 ‘Pooh’s Grand Adventure.' The first Pooh full-length original feature film was 'The Tigger Movie' in 2000.

3. A collection of stuffed animals belonging to Milne's son, Christopher Robin, inspired the series. He had a bear, a kangaroo, a donkey and a striped tiger. Christopher also liked a bear named Winnie at the London Zoo.

4. Milne’s first Pooh story was entitled ‘In Which We Are Introduced to Winnie-the-Pooh and Some Bees, and the Stories Begin.’ It was published in the London Evening News, Dec. 24, 1925, and was so popular it was broadcast on BBC radio the next day.

5. Tigger did not bounce onto the scene until 1928. His character was based on Milne's dog, Chum.

6. The Hundred Acre Wood: This locale in the stories was inspired by the Five Hundred Acre Wood near Milne's home in East Sussex, England.

7. Pooh a big seller for Disney: According to Wikipedia, Winnie the Pooh features and merchandise generate as much revenue as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto combined.

8. Foreign-language Pooh: The Pooh books have been translated into many languages, including Latin. A Pooh cartoon TV series was even created in the Soviet Union.

9. Pooh goes Hollywood: Pooh was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6834 Hollywood Boulevard, April 11, 2006.

10. Two contemporary books compare the 'Winnie-the-Pooh' philosophies to eastern religion. 'Tao of Pooh' and 'The Te of Piglet' examine the Pooh stories and characters in relation to Taoist philosophy.

Sources:

Christ, Carol Tecla. "Milne, A. A." World Book Online Reference Center. 2006. World Book, Inc. 17 Jan. 2006.

Disney.com: Winnie the Pooh Official Web Site http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/pooh/

'Winnie-the-Pooh,' Wikipedia, accessed Jan. 17, 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie_the_Pooh