Charles M. Schulz

Charles M. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and passed away on February 12, 2000. He is best known as the creator of *Peanuts*, the beloved comic strip featuring Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and their friends. Growing up in Saint Paul, Schulz developed an early interest in drawing. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, he launched his comic strip career with *Li'l Folks* in 1947. Three years later, he reworked the strip into a four-panel format, which United Features Syndicate renamed *Peanuts* and began publishing in October 1950. Schulz moved to Northern California in 1958 and, starting with *A Charlie Brown Christmas* in 1965, helped write numerous animated television specials and four films based on his characters. His signature style—clean, expressive lines and a gentle, observant humor—influenced a generation of cartoonists, including Jim Davis, Bill Watterson, and Matt Groening. Schulz was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1996, and was posthumously inducted into the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2007. He continued drawing *Peanuts* until his death, leaving behind a legacy of more than 17,000 strips.