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Parental Support
Mother Dana and father Carl supported Sparky both financially and mentally. They encouraged him to be who he wanted to be when he was growing up. They paid for his drawing and cartooning school that allowed him to follow his dreams. Sparky's parents greatly influenced his decision to become a cartoonist. The picture is Sparky's first cartoon. -
The Birth of an Artist
Charles Monroe Schulz was born on November 26, 1922. Less than a week later, he was nicknamed "Sparky" for the sad-eyed horse from the comic strip "Barney Google." It is kind of ironic that, after being nicknamed for a cartoon character, Sparky went on to become a cartoonist. He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. To the left is a picture of Charles Schulz's first cartoon. -
The Great Depression
On October 29, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange crashed, marking the beginning of the Great Depression. This economical devicit occurred right after the Roaring Twenties, a high point in American economics. At the end of 1929, it had been determined that investors had lost about $40 billion. The Great Depression lasted until 1942. -
Pearl Harbor
Japan bombed our naval base, Pearl Harbor, in Hawaii on December 7, 1941. This event pulled the U.S.A. into World War II. Japan tried to take out our navy so that we couldn't participate in the war, but they created a powerful enemy instead. That was America's formal entry into World War II, as before we had been neutral. -
A Deathly Surprise
Sparky's mother, Dana, died unexpectedly of cervical cancer in 1943. Back at the time, doctors did not tell their patients when they had an incurable disease. Charles got a release from the army to visit her as she died. She passed away the day after he left to return to the militairy. Dana died when Sparky was only 21. -
Brave Heart
On May 1, 1945, Sparky was awarded a Combat Infantryman Badge. This was regarded by other soldiers as a "fighter badge." This was his most prized possession. To him, it meant he had been a brave fighter adn loyal partner while serving in the military. -
Joyce
Joyce was Charles Schulz's first wife. She impacted him in more of a physical way. The family (they had 5 kids) moved fairly often at Joyce's requests. The change of scenery gave Sparky refreshing ideas to use in "Peanuts." it could be from ice skating Snoopy (St. Paul, Minnesota) to pitcher Charlie Brown (California). -
Encouraging Coworkers
When Charles Schulz was just starting out, he worked at the school he had attended, reviewing students' artwork and writing constructive comments. Sometimes, he would get to work early and put his cartoons on his coworkers' desks. He watched for their reaction; if they laughed, it was a good thing. Sparky's coworkers played an important role in encouraging him to be ambitious; the world just might like him. -
I Have A Dream...
Martin Luther King Junior performed his "I have a dream..." speech in 1963. The speech was a true conveyor to how African Americans were feeling about segregation. It took place at the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C. -
Twice as Nice
In 1955, Charles Schulz won his first Reuben Award. It's kind of like an Oscar for cartoonists. In 1964, Sparky became the first cartoonist to win the Reuben twice. In the picture, he is accepting the award from its creator, Rube Goldberg. -
"Peanuts" in Motion
On December 9, 1965, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," aired for the first time on T.V. It was the first televised "Peanuts" program. A year later, it won an Emmy Award. It was for Outstanding Children's Program. -
Man on the Moon
Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969. His craft was Apollo 11. When he walked on the moon, he spoke his famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." A metal American flag marks his achievement. -
A Continuous Heartbeat
Charles Schulz had an open-heart surgery in 1981. He was 59. It was successful - he was able to keep doing the things he loved, like tennis and hockey, after he had healed. To give him something to do while he was recuperating, the nurses gave him a pen to draw Peanuts characters on the walls. -
The Crack of the Peanut
Charles Schulz died in his sleep. He had created almost 18000 strips in more than 2600 newspapers. He died the night before he had planned to retire. His last strip (the picture in this event) was intended to comclude his works. Sparky had written Peanuts for nearly 50 years. He was 77 years old when he passed away.
