Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh
Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff
He’s Winnie the Pooh
Winnie the Pooh
Willy nilly silly old bear

Sorry, didn’t mean to get that stuck in your head. But its a good introduction to what was doubtlessly a massive childhood memory for us: Winnie the Pooh. The silly old bear has made quite the impact on children across the world, universally beloved by young and old alike. Although Winnie the Pooh’s books have been overshadowed by the Disney adaptations, they’re still lovely and cherished by millions for their warmth and simplistic yet surprisingly complicated philosophical musings.

image via Disney

First published on October 14th, 1926, the children’s book introduced the world to Winnie the Pooh and his colorful cast of companions: Piglet, Eyeore, Kanga and Roo, Owl, and Rabbit. Tigger is the sole exception, not being introduced until the book’s sequel, The House at Pooh Corner. The book was written by A.A. Milne, who drew inspiration for the character from his son, Christopher Robin, who was also put into the books more or less as himself. Winnie the Pooh was named after Christopher’s toy bear, who was named ‘Winnie’ for the Canadian black bear he saw at the London zoo and ‘Pooh’ a swan the family had met while on holiday. On the character’s name, the author was quoted as saying:

But his arms were so stiff … they stayed up straight in the air for more than a week, and whenever a fly came and settled on his nose he had to blow it off. And I think – but I am not sure – that that is why he is always called Pooh.

image via wikipedia 

Winnie the Pooh became a bestselling phenomenon upon release, with its sequel following its publication shortly after. It has been translated into dozens of languages, including Latin (the Latin translation made the New York Times bestseller’s list). The rights were licensed by Disney in the 60s, where Winnie the Pooh and his cast were featured in several cartoon features by Disney, before Disney acquired full rights from Milne’s estate in 2001.

In the stories, Pooh is characterized as being a bear of very little brain, being often slow witted but also thoughtful, kind, and steadfast to his friends. Overall, his main motivation is often honey, which he spells as ‘hunny’. Overall, he is kindhearted and very loyal to his friends, even the perpetually grumpy Eyeore.

image via Disney

Happy birthday to our favorite bear, with the publication of his very first book. What fond memories do you have of the bear of little brain and his friends? Tell us in the comments and maybe you can help introduce Pooh to the next generation as well!

Featured Image Via BBC