On This Day - August 21, 1920

On this day, August 21st, 1920, Christopher Robin Milne was born in London.

Christopher Robin was the real life son of author A.A. Milne, and the basis of the fictional character with the same name. 

On his first birthday he received a Teddy bear which was ultimately named after a bear they often saw at London's zoo. The bear was named Winnie by the Canadian soldier and veterinarian Harry Colebourn,  who rescued her from a trapper while en route to Europe during World War 1. The bear was named Winnie after his adopted hometown of Winnipeg (which happens to be my hometown). When he was shipped to France, he arranged to have her cared for at the zoo where A.A. Milne and Christopher Robin often visited.

A.A. Milne's classic, much loved stories featured characters based on his son Christoper Robin, and his Teddy, Winnie-the-Pooh.

Happy reading, 

Christine