Creating an impact through cartoons about unusual – even odd - facts is what made Robert Ripley an all around American folk hero. He shared his curiosity and delight with us in many ways, highlighting the best and sometimes the craziest of American trivia.
Born on December 25, 123 years ago, this California native (Santa Rosa) was hard working, ambitious, and committed to bringing unknown bits of info to our attention. He did so wearing different “hats”: cartoonist, entrepreneur, and amateur anthropologist.
His rise in popularity can be credited to the way he never ceased to push his own limits. One of his biggest accomplishments was the creation of Ripley’s Believe it or Not! newspaper panel series, , radio show, and television show which featured odd facts from around the world. The focus of his material ranged from athletic feats to extraordinarily uncommon facts, some of which were submitted by devoted fans.
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In honor of his love for trivia, here are some fun facts about Ripley himself:
· He was an up-and-coming semi-pro baseball player until an injury halted his sports ambitions. Soon afterwards, he directed his talents to being a sports cartoonist.
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· He drew all his cartoons upside-down.
· His first job was a polisher for a tombstone engraver.
· On January 1, 1931, "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" ran a cartoon stating that the USA had no national anthem. Within days, millions of letters poured into Congress, demanding that the song “The Star Spangled Banner” be officially adopted. On March 3, 1931, an act of Congress officially designated "The Star Spangled Banner" as the National Anthem of the United States of America.
He is at rest with his parents at Santa Rosa Memorial Park. The park is planning a Celebration of Life in his honor this May. To learn more about this gifted man who inspired many museums and theme parks dedicated to his work and imagination, check out the park’s interviews with noted author Neal Thomspon who recently released, A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!
