20 Things You Didn't Know About Charles Schulz

I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN! -  Produced and animated by the same team that gave us the now classic 'PEANUTS' s
I WANT A DOG FOR CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN! - Produced and animated by the same team that gave us the now classic 'PEANUTS' specials from the late cartoonist Charles M. Schulz's famed comic strip, 'I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!' will air TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET), on The ABC Television Network. 'I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown!' centers on ReRun, the lovable but ever-skeptical younger brother of Linus and Lucy. It's Christmas vacation and, as usual, ReRunÕs big sister is stressing him out, so he decides to turn to his best friend, Snoopy, for amusement and holiday cheer. However his faithful but unpredictable beagle companion has plans of his own, giving ReRun reason to ask Snoopy to invite his canine brother Spike for a visit. When Spike shows up, it looks like ReRun will have a dog for Christmas after allÉ but then the real trouble begins. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/ABC via Getty Images)

Today is the birthday of American cartoonist Charles Monroe Schulz, that beloved "Peanuts" creator who would turn 92 years old if he were still alive today.


In honor of the 92nd 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. Behold, the quirks of a "Peanuts" legend:


charles schulz

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.

2. Schulz's childhood nickname was based on a comic strip.

charles schulz

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, "Barney Google."

3. Schulz had his own unusual dog named Spike.

When Schulz was a young boy, he submitted a picture of his dog, Spike, to Ripley's Believe It or Not! His drawing appeared in Robert Ripley's syndicated panel, describing Spike as an usual dog who ate pins, tacks and razor blades.

4. Schulz served in WWII but never fired his weapon.

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5. Schulz debuted his two most famous characters in a comic strip known as "Li'l Folks."

snoopy and charlie brown

The name of Schulz's most famous character -- Charlie Brown -- first appeared in an earlier cartoon written by the Peanuts creator titled "Li'l Folks", which was published from 1947 to 1950. That same series also featured a dog that resembled Snoopy.

6. 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.

7. And he hated the name.

charlie brown christmas

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

8. Schulz wanted to call Snoopy "Sniffy."

charles schulz

Schulz was originally going to call his star dog character "Sniffy", that is until he discovered that name had already been used in a different comic strip. So the cartoonist changed it to "Snoopy" after remembering that his late mother Dena Schulz told the family that if they were ever to acquire a third dog, it should be called Snoopy, an affectionate term in Norwegian. (The word is "Snuppa".)

9. And Schulz wanted Snoopy to be entirely silent.



10. Schulz named many of the other "Peanuts" characters after his friends.

charles schulz


11. Relatives served as inspiration too.

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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.

12. 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.

13. Schulz was adamant about "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

charlie brown christmas

For "A Charlie Brown Christmas", network executives were hesitant about a scene involving Linus reciting the story of Christ's birth. But in a documentary about the making of the program, Charles Schulz states, "If we don't tell the true meaning of Christmas, who will?" And so the scene remained. Schulz also felt strongly about the absence of a laugh track in the televised cartoon, maintaining that the audience should be able to enjoy the show at their own pace, without being cued when to laugh. CBS created a version with a laugh track, but that version never aired.

15. Schulz was an avid hockey fan.

hockey charles schulz

Schulz was an avid hockey fan. In 1998, he hosted the first Over 75 Hockey Tournament and in 2001, and in 2001, Ramsey County renamed the Highland Park Ice Arena in St. Paul, Minn., the Charles M. Schulz Highland Arena in his honor.

16. Schulz loved the Space Program.

charles schulz space


17. Schulz was pals with Reagan.

ronald reagan


18. Schulz really wanted Charlie Brown to kick the football.



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19. Schulz was published in 75 countries.

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At its height, Schulz's Peanuts comic strip was published in 75 countries, in 21 different languages.


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According to Robert Thompson of Syracuse University, Schulz created "arguably the longest story ever told by one human being". In total, Schulz produced 17,897 published strips from 1950 to 2000, with reruns continuing after.
