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Birthday
Theodor Seuss Geisel aka Dr. Seuss was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. This is very important because I was born on the same day 106 years later. -
College
Theodor goes to Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. The college his English teacher attended. He was not a good student, but worked almost his whole time at the school humor magazine. This shows how determined he is to create funny texts and cartoons. -
Studying in Oxford, England
After Darthmouth, Theodor applies to study in England at the famous university of Oxford. There he meets his later wife, Helen Palmer. She studies to become a teacher. -
Wedding
Theodor marries Helen Palmer. They decided to change the date because his older sister was about to give birth to his niece, Peggy. -
Advertising man
Theodor was offered a job in advertising for Flit, a company that produces bug spray. This event is important because it shows that he can be pragmatic. He needs to earn money and gets a job that he knew he didn't want to do for the rest of his life. -
Mulberry streets
Theodor publishes his very first book, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street". The book sold very well (for a children's book). But he still could not quit his advertising job because the book didn't make enough money. This shows that he is strong-minded as he didn't give up his career as writer and author, although his first book did not make him financially independent. -
Horton the Elephant
After some unsuccessful tries also with books for grown-ups, Theodor comes up with a book that is called ‘‘Horton Hatches the Egg" -
Working in Hollywood
Theodor joins the United States Army Motion Picture Unit. There he made a cartoon called Private SNAFU. Later he helped to write two films what the US should do in Germany and Japan after they won the war. Both movies received Oscars for their revised versions. -
More children‘s books
After World War II Theodor and his wife moved to California. Theodor resumes to write children‘s books. He had stopped during the war. One of his first books after the war was „If I ran the zoo‘‘. He mentions the new word „nerd“ in this book. This is just one example of his many new word creations. This shows that Theodor is creative. -
The Cat in the Hat
Theodor was asked by a friend to create a book for first graders to encourage reading. He gave Theodor a list of about 300 different words that most 1st graders should know. So Ted created "The Cat in the Hat“. The idea for beginner books was born. From then on Theodor and other authors created books with that same list of words. In „Green Eggs and Ham“ he just used 50 of those words. It took Theodor over a year to finish "The Cat in the Hat" and it shows how patient he was. -
Success
„The cat in the hat“ and Theodor‘s following books „How the Grinch Stole Christmas“ and „The Sneetches and Other Stories“ and others made him so successful and financially independent that Theodor was able to stop working on ads. The „Grinch“ even appeared on TV. Theodor became so popular that his books were even translated into several other languages. -
Theodor‘s last books
In his last books Theodor became more involved into the environment „The Lorax“ and into politics „The Butter Battle Book“. He was criticized for both books, but they were also very successful and Theodor received as first children‘s author a Pulitzer Price. -
Theodor‘s death
Theodor died at age eighty-seven. He had written 40 books. In a 2001 list of the 150 best selling children‘s books of all time, 24 were by Dr. Seuss.
