Winnie-the-Pooh "When We Were Very Young" (6 November 1924). Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared by name on 24 December 1925, in a Christmas story commissioned and published by the London newspaper "The Evening News". It was illustrated by J. H. Dowd. The first collection of Pooh stories appeared in the book "Winnie-the-Pooh". The "Evening News" Christmas story reappeared as the first chapter of the book. At the beginning, it explained that Pooh was in fact Christopher Robin's Edward Bear, who had been renamed by the boy. He was renamed after a black bear at London Zoo called Winnie who got her name from
Winnie the Pooh (Disney character) Pooh" (1977). Hal Smith (1980–1987) took over for the 1981 short "Winnie the Pooh Discovers the Seasons", and would maintain the role until Jim Cummings (1988–present) began voicing Pooh in the animated series "The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1988–1991). Cummings continues to voice Pooh (as well as Tigger) to this day. In 1961, Walt Disney Productions licensed certain film and other rights to the characters, stories and trademarks from Stephen Slesinger, Inc. and the estate of A. A. Milne. and made a series of cartoon films about him. The early cartoons were based on several of the original