The Magic of Winnie the Pooh

Written by: Natalie Yao

History

When we think of Winnie the Pooh, we think of his touching, memorable quotes, as well as his furry friends. But did you know that the Winnie the Pooh franchise is based off of a real story? At the center of the story that inspired the iconic characters is Canadian World War I soldier Harry Coleburn. In 1914, Coleburn, who was a veterinarian, stepped out and came across a black bear cub that was on a leash by someone who was trying to sell him. Coleburn had loved animals, and had bought him for twenty dollars after learning that the cub’s mother had died. He named the bear’s name Winnipeg, after his hometown, and nicknamed him Winnie. During his time training for the military, Coleburn would train Winnie using apples and other sweet foods, and Winnie would follow Coleburn around everywhere. When Coleburn was sent into battle, he couldn’t bring Winnie along with him, so he brought the bear to the London Zoo and promised that he would return for him after the war. Sadly, when he came back for Winnie, he could not take him back to Canada, and Winnie spent the rest of his life in the London Zoo. 

A.A. Milne, the creator of the character Winnie the Pooh, first came across the bear while taking his son Christopher Robin to the zoo because he wanted to see Winnie. Christopher Robin loved the friendly bear so much that he renamed his teddy bear Winnie the Pooh. The other characters in the story had also been inspired by Christopher Robin’s other stuffed animals: Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Tigger. The story of Winnie the Pooh was first introduced to the public in the form of Milne’s 1924 poetry book When We Were Very Young. The popular book was later made a series with the addition of books Winnie the Pooh and The House at Pooh Corner. When Walt Disney Productions got the film rights to the characters in 1961, they began making several films and television shows that spread the popularity of the franchise to a global scale.

Famous Quotes

• The Hundred Acre Forest is a real place in Essex, England called the Ashdown forest

• Winnie the Pooh has a star named after him to celebrate his 80th birthday (the star is in the Ursa Major constellation, which is also called the Great Bear)

• Winnie the Pooh stories have been translated into many languages from all around the world

Fun Facts

• “A hug is always the right size.” - Winnie the Pooh

• “The things that make me different are the things that make me, me.” - Piglet

• “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” - Christopher Robin