Daily Archives: January 18, 2013

Deep in the 100-acre wood, 131 years ago today, a man by the name of Alan Milne was born.

As the youngest of three sons born to schoolteacher parents, Milne had the knowhow to teach himself to read when he was only two years old.  From his humble beginnings in elementary school to his established educational career at Cambridge, Milne took great pleasure in writing humorous pieces and stories for his classmates.

In 1903, he left Cambridge and headed to London to pursue his writing career.  After struggling for years to make a livable wage, Milne finally found himself working at Punch magazine, where he was able to write the humorous verse and essays he loved so much.

As was the case for most young men in the 1900’s, Milne was sent to France to serve in World War I.  While in the military, he wrote three plays, one of which was Mr. Pim Passes By, which became a hit in 1919 and provided some well deserved financial security for him and his new wife, Daphne.

In 1920, upon his return from France, Alan Milne and his wife welcomed their first and only child, Christopher Robin, into the world.  A few years later, the family bought Cotchford Farm in Sussex, a beautiful and forested location that would inspire A.A. Milne to write one of the best-loved stories of all time.

When young Christopher was about a year old, he received a stuffed bear as a present.  The child soon accumulated a collection of similar animals, including a donkey, a small pig, a tiger, and a kangaroo.

In 1926, A.A. Milne published The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, followed by The House at Pooh Corner in 1928.  Illustrator Ernest Shepard used Christopher Robin and his toys as models for the stories, and Winnie the Pooh and his many adventures quickly became well-loved stories by children and adults alike.

Today is A.A. Milne’s birthday, and I thought I’d celebrate and honor him by gathering some of my favorite Winnie the Pooh quotes.  Thank you, A.A. Milne, for helping children everywhere love and appreciate the simple joys found in relaxing, eating, and being with those we love.

Come back every Tuesday for “The Bees Knees”, where I post the best quotes from my favorite movies, TV shows, songs, and books.