Profile of the Day: Charles Schulz

Charles Schulz

Do you remember the Peanuts gang? On this day in 1922, Peanuts creator Charles Schulz was born. Considered one of the most influential cartoonists in history, Schulz’s beloved comic ran from 1950-2000 with nearly 18,000 strips published.

Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Carl Schulz, a barber, and Dena Halverson. His father had German heritage, while his mother was from a large Norwegian family. As a child, he was nicknamed “Sparky” after the racehorse, “Spark Plug,” from the comic strip, Barney Google.  With a love for drawing, Schulz realized he wanted to become a cartoonist at an early age. He sometimes drew his dog, Spike, who often ate unusual things. Many of Spike’s antics would serve as the inspiration for Snoopy, Charlie Brown’s loyal dog.

On October 2, 1950, Schulz published his beloved comic strip Peanuts for the first time. Although not an instant hit, by the end of its run, Peanuts had been printed in 2,600 newspapers in 75 different countries in 21 languages.

Schulz died on February 12, 2000 at the age of 77. The last original Peanuts strip was published the next day, Sunday, February 13.

Explore Charles Schulz’s family tree on Geni and discover how you’re related!
 

View Charles Schulz’s Geni Profile

Image: Library of Congress