Alan Alexander Milne was born on this day in 1882. After graduating from Cambridge University, he worked as assistant editor of Punch magazine and wrote a number of successful light comedies. In the 1920s, he began writing poems and stories for his young son, Christopher Robin, creating characters which went on to win the hearts and minds of generations of children worldwide. Winnie the Pooh and his friends, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit, Owl and Tigger, went on to star in a number of Disney films. For many people, the ‘real’ characters are those depicted by E.H. Shepard’s illustrations for A.A.Milne’s four original books: When We Were Very Young (1924), Winnie-the-Pooh (1926), Now We Are Six (1927) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928).
Each year, on 18 January, Pooh Day is celebrated by fans, with appropriate songs and games.
There are several people recorded in history with the first name Christopher and surname Robin. But there are few individuals noted in the records with the other character names featured in the book. However, an interesting death record is noted in December quarter 1837 in Wimborne & Cranborne Registration District, for Rabbits Henry!
For readers interested in finding out more about Pooh Day, The Page at Pooh Corner is an excellent website for further information about Christopher Robin Milne, his father and other topics relating to the books about Winnie and friends.
