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Theodor “Ted” Seuss Geisel is born, March 2, 1905, in Springfield, Mass.
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During Geisel’s early childhood, his mother sold pies in her family’s bakery, and did the day’s bill of fare to customers. When him and his sister were young, their mother would softly sing rhymes. He gives credit to his mother for his ability to create rhymes so well.
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In 1910, Dr. Suess was six years old, and he was already a gifted reader. He started reading Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson.
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In 1925, Geisel was named editor-in-chief of the Dartmouth humor magazine, Jack-O-Lantern, where he begins writing under the name “Seuss.”
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Geisel began studies toward a Ph.D. in English Literature at Oxford University’s Lincoln College where he met a classmate and future wife Helen Palmer. He left school without finishing his degree to travel through Europe for two years, working with other literary dropouts, such as Ernest Hemingway.
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In 1927, he moved to New York, and married Helen and sold his first cartoons to Judge magazine.
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In 1943-46, Geisel serves in the U.S. Army during WWII and wins the Legion of Merit for his educational films. Though he did not write a book for several years.
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In 1948, Dr. Seuss and Helen went west and settled down in La Jolla, Calif.
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In 1956-7, During an extraordinary two years, If I Ran the Circus, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Cat in the Hat were published. More than 11 million copies of Cat were sold and it had been translated in 12 languages, including Latin, Yiddish and Braille.
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In 1960, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish was published. We see how wondrous and colorful life gets when we encounter new friends and learn that difference is what makes us best! That very same year, another book published, called Green Eggs and Ham, teaching that we should avoid jumping to conclusions.
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In 1967, Geisel’s wife and long-term collaborator, Helen, died.
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In 1968, Geisel marries long-time friend, Audrey Stone Dimond.
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In 1981, in honor of his 77th birthday, March 2 is proclaimed Dr. Seuss Day by governors of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Minnesota and Utah.
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In 1982, Geisel receives an Emmy Award (Best Children’s Special) for The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat.
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In 1991, after delighting young and old for generations, Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel passed away Sept. 24 at
age 87.
