Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known to the world as the beloved Dr. Seuss is one of the most well-known names in children's literature. He published over sixty children's books, which were often characterized by his imaginative characters and frequent use of rhymed prose.
Born in 1909, Dr. Seuss wrote many books during his lifetime. He even had a short-lived adult comic strip during the Great Depression and supported his family by doing illustrations for bigger companies.
In the early 1950’s he returned to children’s books and began writing the classic books that most children have enjoyed. Some of his best known works are ‘‘The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas , One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish and Horton Hears a Who.
Background
The son of brewmasters in the city of Springfield, Massachusettes, Seuss' mother, Henrietta Seuss Geisel, often soothed her children to sleep by "chanting" rhymes remembered from her youth. Dr. Seuss credited his mother with both his ability and desire to create the rhymes for which he became so well known.
After serving in the army during World War II Seuss got his first big break when Viking Press offered him a contract to illustrate a collection of children's sayings called Boners. Developed as part of a unique joint venture between Houghton Mifflin and Random House, The Cat in the Hat was Seuss' second book and made him the definitive children's book author and illustrator.
Dr. Seuss Personal Timeline
March 2, 1909: Theodor Suess Geisel Born
1922-25: Attends Dartmouth College
1926: Travels Europe
1940: Works as editorial cartoonist for PM Newspaper
1943: Joins Army, commander of the Animation Dept. of First Motion Picture Unit
1946: Moves to California | Wins Academy Award for Best Documentary
1947: Wins Academy Award for Best Documentary
1949: Advertising campaign for Ford
1956: Receives Doctor of Humane Letters from Dartmouth
1958: Becomes president of Beginner Books
1968: Receives Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from American International College
1976-77: Exhibits artwork at La Jolla Museum
1983: Receives Honorary Doctorate of Literature from J.F. Kennedy University
1984: Receives Pulitzer Prize
September 4, 1991: Dies
Notable Dr. Seuss Adaptations
The majority of these links are to IMDb, which has pop-ups
1942: Horton Hatches the Egg
1951: Gerald McBoing-Boing
1970: Horton Hears a Who
1971: The Cat in the Hat
1972: The Lorax
1995: Daisy-Head Mayzie
2000: Seussical: The Musical
2003: The Cat in the Hat
2008: Horton Hears a Who
References
Fast Facts
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Born
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Birth Name
Theodor Seuss Geisel
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Died
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Fact:
Never had any children of his own
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Fact:
Won two Academy Awards in the 1940's for war documentaries
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Fact:
Wrote most of his books in anapestic tetrameter
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Fact:
Illustrated most of his own books
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Fact:
Never won a Caldecott Medal or the Newbery Award
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Fact:
Also wrote under the names Rosetta Stone & Theo LeSieg
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Fact:
Was very reluctant to allow his work to be adapted
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Fact:
His fatally ill first wife committed suicide
