The Real People Who Inspired Timeless Fictional Characters

Pooh Bear’s Best Friend

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In 1926, English author A.A. Milne wrote and published the children’s book Winnie-the-Pooh. While nothing about an anthropomorphic teddy bear seems based on reality, the young boy Christopher Robin is a real person. Christopher is A.A. Milne’s son. Milne’s wrote the books about Christopher’s adventures with his teddy bear and dedicated it to him.

After WWI, Milne moved his family to Ashdown forest where he and Christopher would go on long walks together, usually accompanied by some of Christopher’s favorite stuffed animals. His son’s interactions with the animals inspired him to write about it. They started out as poems but grew into the stories we know today.