Happy Winnie-the-Pooh Day!
I can’t think of any other way to celebrate this day besides actually honoring its author, A.A. Milne.
National Winnie-the-Pooh Day is celebrated every year on January 18th, which also happens to be Alan Alexander Milne’s birthday. On this day in 1882, Milne was born in Hampstead, London, United Kingdom. This English author was best known for enchanting children of all ages with his children’s books based on Winnie-the-Pooh (his son’s stuffed bear). Besides these books, his other works go unnoticed.
Wait… Milne did other things?
Yes, friends. Yes. He actually did a lot of other things with his life. Check out the list below to learn five facts about A.A. Milne you might not have known:
- Milne actually attended Trinity College in Cambridge and studied mathematics, earning his degree in 1903.
- Despite having a degree in mathematics, he built a career as a freelance writer. He contributed to magazines, such as Granta (during his college years) and Punch (as a humor writer).
- He served in World War I as a soldier on the front lines. When he was found unfit for duty due to illness, he joined a secret propaganda unit as a writer, publishing pro-war messages to try to gain more support for the war effort.
- After World War I, Milne became a successful playwright (Mr. Pim Passes By [1919] and Toad of Toad Hall [1930]), poet (When We Were Very Young [1924] and Now We Are Six [1927]), and author of the detective novel, The Red House Mystery (1922).
- Even though Milne brought joy to the lives of many children with his Winnie-the-Pooh books, he wasn’t happy being labeled as a children’s author. His son, Christopher Robin, wasn’t too happy about being associated with the children’s books either, driving a wedge in their relationship.
Did you know all of this about A.A. Milne? Tell us by commenting below!