Happy 90th Birthday 'Charles Schulz

Today is the birthday of American cartoonist Charles Monroe Schulz . The "Peanuts" creator would turn 90 years old if he were still alive today.

Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Schulz is remembered most fondly for the wholesome characters he created throughout his 50-year-long career. Among them are the eternally hesitant Charlie Brown and the mischievous Snoopy, two characters who came to represent the iconic four-panel gag strip known as "Peanuts." Schulz devoted much of his life to the American comic standard, which ran up until the day after his death in 2000.

In honor of the 90th anniversary of Schulz's birth, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the man behind the cartoon, so we've put together 20 facts you might not have known about the great American artist. Scroll through the slideshow below and let us know what you're favorite "Peanuts" moments are in the comments section.


Charles Schulz and Charlie Brown Are Pretty Alike

 Schulz's father was a barber and his mother a housewife, just like Charlie Brown's parents. Plus, as the youngest in his class at Central High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Schulz was famously shy. Schulz's Childhood Nickname Was Based On A Comic Strip

Schulz's childhood nickname, Sparky, was given to him by his uncle and refers to the horse Spark Plug in Billy DeBeck's comic strip





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Schulz Didn't Actually Name Peanuts...

In 1950, Schulz approached the United Feature Syndicate with his comic strip Li'l Folks. The syndication company accepted Schulz work but decided that the name Li'l Folks was too close to the names of two other comics of the time: Al Capp's Li'l Abner and a strip titled Little Folks. So to avoid confusion, United Feature Syndicate settled on the name Peanuts, after the peanut gallery featured in the Howdy Doody TV show. In the end, Schulz did not name his famous work.

And He Hated The Name

Schulz always disliked the title of his infamous comic strip, "Peanuts". In a 1987 interview , Schulz said of the title Peanuts: "It's totally ridiculous, has no meaning, is simply confusing, and has no dignity—and I think my humor has dignity."
 

Schulz Named Many Of The Peanuts Characters After His Friends

Linus and Shermy ,prominent characters in the Peanuts comic strip, were named for good friends of Schulz, Linus Maurer and Sherman Plepler.

 

And Relatives

The character of Peppermint Patty was inspired by Patricia Swanson, one of Schulz's cousins on his mother's side. Schulz came up with the full name when he saw peppermint candies in his house.... And Ex-Girlfriends .

The character of the Little Red-Haired Girl (Charlie Brown's love interest in Peanuts) was based on a woman in Schulz's life named Donna Mae Johnson. She was an Art Instruction Inc. accountant with whom the cartoonist had a relationship, but when he proposed to her, she turned him down.

Schulz Was An Avid Hockey Fan

Schulz was an avid hockey fan. In 1998, he hosted the first Over 75 Hockey Tournament and in 2001, the city of Saint Paul, MN renamed the Highland Park Ice Arena the Charles M. Schulz Highland Arena in his honor.

Schulz Was Inducted Into The US Figure Skating Hall Of Fame

Schulz was posthumously inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2007.