Nartional Winnie the Pooh Day: the story behind everyone's favorite bear

Today is National Winnie the Pooh Day celebrated on the birthday of his creator, author A.A. Milne. “Winnie the Pooh, Winnie the Pooh, Chubby, little cubby all stuffed with fluff” …the song plays in your head. Winnie the Pooh was based on one of Milne’s son’s toys and their adventures took place in a forest near their farm. We all know the bear, most of know a little bit about his creation but what is the full story? While being a beloved character around the world, the success of his stories would bring heartache to the Milne family. Who was A.A. Milne? What is the history behind the beloved character? And why is he so popular 93 years later?

Alan Alexander Milne was born January 18, 1882, Kilburn, London. Kilburn was a small public school his father ran and where one of his teachers was author H.G. Wells. He joined the British army in World War I. He was later injured in the Battle of the Somme (July 7, 1916). He would marry Dorothy “Daphne” de Selincourt in 1913 and their only child, Christopher Robin, was born in 1920. Milne and his wife became estranged from their son who resented the “exploitation of his childhood” and came to hate the book that thrust him into the public eye. However, his son would occasionally visit him as he grew ill. He would write other genres including plays, poetry and detective stories. Given the success of his children’s books, he was annoyed that he could not write whatever he pleased. He was felt “amazement and disgust” at the fame his son was exposed to, commenting that "I feel that the legal Christopher Robin has already had more publicity than I want for him” (AA Milne and the curse of the Pooh bear, BBC January 28, 2016). Although Milne and his wife didn’t exactly shield their son from publicity. Milne would retreat to a private life on his farm. He died January 31, 1956 at the age of 74 from a stroke.

The toy which became Winnie the Pooh was originally named Edward and was a gift to Milne’s son for his first birthday. The name was changed to Winnie in honor of a Canadian black bear named Winnie (from Winnipeg) who was used as a military mascot during World War I and would later be housed at the London Zoo after the war. Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo and Tigger were also modeled after his son’s toys. The originally toys are on display at the New York Public Library. Only Owl and Rabbit were created from Milne’s imagination. The Hundred Acre Wood was also inspired by the real life Five Hundred Acre Wood in East Sussex which the Milnes lived on the northern side on their farm and where father and son would take walks. Pooh’s first appearance was in a poem known as “Teddy Bear” in a 1924 Punch magazine. He would later appear in books such as Winnie the Pooh (1926) and The House on Pooh Corner (1928). The rights to Winnie the Pooh characters would be sold to the Walt Disney Productions in 1961 with the film, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh being released in 1977.

Everyone is familiar with Winnie the Pooh and his friends. Whether it was growing up with the stories, the Disney films or both, Winnie the Pooh is beloved around the world. Described as naïve and slow-witted, he is also friendly, thoughtful and steadfast. While he is often described as having no brain, Pooh often comes up with clever ideas usually driven by common sense. Everyone also have a favorite Pooh character, my favorite has always been Eeyore. Eeyore is described as the pessimistic, gloomy, depressed donkey which isn’t like me at all because I’m usually very optimistic. However, something about Eeyore draws me to him. Winnie the Pooh and his friends remain popular after so many years. Since the initial publication, the Winnie the Pooh stories have never been out of print. Never. Some say the draw to the characters lies in their relatability. James Campbell, who runs the EH Shepard Trust and is the author of The Art of Winnie-the-Pooh, says, “Readers could recognise these characteristics in themselves or their friends” (What makes the Winnie the Pooh books so popular? September 18, 2017). The stories brought innocence to a population which had suffered a war that the world had not seen before. And for the generations afterward who have known nothing but war, it brings a simplicity and tenderness we wish the world knew.

In conclusion, A.A. Milne is a writer of many genres while being most well known for the Winnie the Pooh stories. While it brought him great success, that success came at a cost. He came to have a love-hate relationship with the bear who brought him success. However, to the world, Winnie the Pooh is a lovable, innocent bear who reminds us of childhood adventures and make believe with our toys. Whether you love Winnie the Pooh or his fellow friends, these characters help us see parts of ourselves. One quote that has been going around sums up the appeal of these stories: “Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” Christopher Robin says this to Pooh. It’s a great reminder to us all.