Profile of the Day: A.A. Milne

It’s Winnie the Pooh Day! The day commemorates the birthday of Winnie the Pooh author A.A. Milne, who was born on January 18, 1882 in London, England. In 1926, Milne first published his beloved children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh, a collection of stories following the adventures of the honey-loving teddy bear and his friends.

Image: A.A. Milne / Library of Congress

Although he studied mathematics in school, Milne found his passion as a writer. He was writing magazine articles before joining the British Army in World War I. He was injured during the Battle of the Somme, one of the bloodiest battles in during the war. After recuperating from his injury, he was recruited into Military Intelligence to write propaganda articles for MI7b between 1916 and 1918.

Following the war, Milne became a noted writer and playwright, but his work would be overshadowed by the success of his children’s stories about Winnie the Pooh. Inspired by his home life, Milne named the character Christopher Robin after his son, and the honey-loving Pooh bear after his son’s teddy bear. Many of his son’s other stuffed toys rounded out the rest of Pooh’s circle of friends. In 1987, the original stuffed animals were donated to the New York Public Library, where they can be seen on display today.

Milne died on January 31, 1956 at the age of 74.

Do you remember reading the adventures of Winnie the Pooh? Explore A.A. Milne’s family tree and share how you’re connected to the writer.

View A.A. Milne’s Geni Profile