Profile of the Day: A.A. Milne

Did you love reading the stories of Winnie the Pooh growing up? On this day in 1882, author and creator A.A. Milne was born in London, England.

Image: A.A. Milne / Library of Congress

Alan Alexander Milne was the youngest of three sons born to school teachers, Sarah Marie Heginbotham and John Vine Milne. During World War I, Milne served in the British Army and was injured at the Battle of the Somme. After recovering from his injuries, he was recruited into Military Intelligence to write propaganda articles for MI7b.

Although Milne was a noted writer and playwright before publishing his Winnie the Pooh stories, his other works would be largely overshadowed by the huge success of the children’s books. His inspiration for the story’s characters came from his life at home. The character of Christopher Robin was named after his son, Christopher Robin Milne, while the lovable Winnie the Pooh was named after his son’s teddy bear. He used the rest of his son’s stuffed toys to form Pooh’s circle of friends.

Today, Milne’s birthday is celebrated as Winnie the Pooh Day!