- (Photo: Reuters/Handout)
Winnie the Pooh Day has fallen on Wednesday this year and fans of the the bear are celebrating across the world.
Observed every year on Jan. 18, the holiday was created to celebrate not only Pooh and his friends but the author of the children's books by A.A. Milne.
Alan Alexander Milne was born in London in 1882. Much of his early education was by his teacher and mentor, H.G. Wells, who went on to write War of the Worlds and many other works. Milne described Wells as "a great writer and a great friend," according to PoohCorner.com.
Milne attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where original handwritten manuscripts of Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner are found at the College Library.
As an undergrad, Milne started working as assistant editor at the humorous magazine, Punch, until the First World War began.
Although he was a known pacifist, Milne enlisted in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and served in France. He wrote a famous denunciation of war titled Peace With Honour, which was published in 1934.
His writings were met with great success, and in addition to Winnie the Pooh, Milne wrote a detective novel, over 25 plays, an autobiography, and many novels, short stories, and essays.
Winnie the Pooh books have been printed in over 25 languages and are beloved by millions all over the world.
Milne died on Jan. 31, 1956 in Sussex, England, after a long illness.
Little is known about the origin of the holiday, but parents are urged to celebrate Winnie the Pooh Day by reading the tales by Milne to their young children.
Winnie the Pooh fans also celebrate other characters found in the book, including Pooh's friends Christopher Robin, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Roo.
Wednesday can also be spent honoring the beloved character by studying bears, making bear-related crafts, and throwing a party while serving Pooh's favorites – tea and honey.