Happy 80th Birthday Pooh!

Winnie-the-Pooh turns 80 years old today. His first public appearance was on Christmas Eve in 1925 in the London Evening News. Of course, A.A. Milne had been telling stories of Winnie-the-Pooh to his soon for years before that. But Christmas Eve is the generally accepted birthdate.

I hope Winnie survives another 80 years without too much more mangling from the Disney Company’s need for better merchandise sales. Make sure you check out this BBC story for some interesting facts and a look at the original stuffed animals that became the main characters in A.A. Milne’s stories.

Disney is launching a year long celebration of Pooh’s 80th birthday. Events will stream from online, to television, to the themeparks, and even a new touring stage show. Let’s just hope they ditch that idea of replacing Christopher Robin with a young girl.

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