Trivia

He had a clause in his contract with United Features Syndicate that dictated that the "Peanuts" comic strip had to end with his death.

Despite his poor health in later years, he refused to have ghostwriters draw "Peanuts". These strips are notable by the slight shakiness in the lines.

Contrary to popular belief, Schulz's chief character, Charlie Brown, is not bald. Schulz insisted that Charlie Brown's hair is blond, but the hair is so light that it is almost transparent.

Was a .50-caliber machine gunner in World War II. He forgot to load the thing during the one time he actually had the opportunity to use it; fortunately the German soldier he ran into surrendered.

Was struggling to come up with the name for a new character when he happened to see a bowl of candy, and decided on "Peppermint Patty".

Owned a dog (a mutt) named Spike.

No adults ever appeared in Peanuts with the exceptions of the last two Veterans Day strips in the series run, which were dedicated to his fellow infantry men.

He was promoted a couple of grades when he was in school, and this was the cause of his depression and anxiety; the older kids who were now his classmates were constantly teasing him because of his small size, which also fostered a deep competitive streak in him.

He was buried with military honors at Pleasant Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Sebastopol, Sonoma County, California. At his burial, four Sopwith Camel biplanes flew overhead in the Missing Man formation.

2/12/00: Died in his sleep at about 9:45 pm in Santa Rosa, CA. He was suffering from colon cancer, with which he was diagnosed in November 1999. He also had Parkinson's disease.

Reportedly battled depression and anxiety.

5/27/00: Nearly 100 syndicated cartoonists created special Peanuts-themed comics as a lasting memorial to him, as creator of the enduring and beloved strip.

At the peak of his popularity, "Peanuts" captured as many as 355 million readers, and he was earning from US$30 to US$40 million a year.

Before his health in decline, Schultz used to play in a senior men's hockey league.

When Mad magazine parodied Schulz's book, "Happiness is a Warm Puppy", with their article, "Being Rich is Better than a Warm Puppy", Schulz canceled his subscription.

Felt that Charlie Brown was the most difficult Peanuts character to draw.

His comic strips featuring the character Snoopy, in his World War One Flying Ace strips, are credited with reviving interest in World War I aircraft, especially the Sopwith Camel, which Snoopy pretended to fly.

Schulz's father was a barber. He made a tribute to his father by having Charlie Brown's father also be a barber.

When Schulz created his first black character, Franklin, in 1968, Time magazine commented, "It is encouraging to see that even the world of Charlie Brown is not color-blind.".

Schulz was invited to appear at the 1989 San Diego Comic-Con, but declined at the last minute.

The last original Peanuts strip was published on Sunday, February 13, 2000, just hours after Charles Schulz died in his sleep on the evening of Saturday, February 12, 2000.

His studio in Santa Rosa was One Snoopy Place.

60 Minutes (1968) interviewed Schulz right before "Peanuts" ended its run. During the interview, Schulz noted that people often called him Sparky, but never Charlie.

Like his character Spike, Schulz resided for a time in Needles, California, when he was an infant.

Originally wanted to name his now-famous strip "Li'l Folks". United Features Syndicate balked at this because there had once been a strip titled "Little Folks". After some brainstorming, a United Features executive came up with the title "Peanuts". Schulz accepted the new title because the first date of publication was fast approaching, but he disliked the title to his dying day. "Peanuts" debuted in seven newspapers on 2 October 1950. It went on to be the most-syndicated strip in history.

Sons Monte Schulz and Craig Schulz; adoptive daughter Meredith Hodges; biological daughters Jill Schulz and Amy Schulz.

Attended Richards Gordon Elementary School and St. Paul Central High School. Later, he enrolled in an extension class for cartooning with the University of Minnesota.

His nickname, Sparky, comes from the horse in "Barney Google".

Schulz liked to play hockey, which is why hockey and skating were occasionally featured in both the comic strip and the animated programs.

Had an ice rink and a tennis court built a block away from his work studio in Santa Rosa, California.

The never seen character of the "Little Red-Haired Girl" that Charlie Brown has a crush on was based on a girl Schulz knew in his youth, who turned him down when he asked her for a date.

As a youth, he had a drawing of his dog appear in Ripley's Believe It or Not (1949).

Was the only child of Carl and Dena Schulz of St. Paul, Minnesota. His father owned a barbershop in St. Paul. His mother died of cancer in 1943.

"Li'l Folks" (later "Peanuts") originally ran in the women's section of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The four original "Peanuts" characters were Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Patty (not Patricia "Peppermint Patty" Reichardt), and Shermy.

A month after his death, the board of supervisors in Sonoma County, California (where Schulz had lived since 1969) voted to change the name of their commercial airport to "Charles M. Schulz - Sonoma County Airport" (baggage code STS). The airport added a statue of "World War I Flying Ace Snoopy" in 2007, and a statue of "World Traveler Lucy" in 2010.

In honor of his love of hockey, the board of supervisors in Ramsey County, Minnesota voted to change the name of the Highland Park Ice Arena in Saint Paul to the "Charles M. Schulz - Highland Arena" in 1998.

Kenneth Constantine Kelly (Manhattan, N.Y., 6 March 1928 - 27 February 2021, Sherman Oaks, California), an engineer at Hughes Aircraft, who by his civil rights actions helped Black families have access to San Fernando Valley. He proposed to Charles M. Schulz to have a black character in "Peanuts". Mr. Schulz agreed and Franklin Armstrong as a friend of Charlie began on 31 July 1968.

Won the Reuben Award, comic art's highest honor, in 1955 and 1964

1990: Named France's Commander of Arts and Letters, one of that country's highest awards for excellence in the arts.

Named Charlie Brown after an instructor at the art correspondence school he attended and taught at.

Schulz was the Grand Marshal of the 1974 Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California.

In his youth was a huge fan of the "Amos and Andy" radio show.

His favorite movie was Citizen Kane (1941). He incorporated many references to the film in his strips over the years.

In the early 1970s, Schulz had an extra-marital affair with an unnamed woman. He allegedly made a homage to the woman by having Snoopy begin seeing a female beagle with soft paws.

Charlie Brown first appeared, though unnamed, in Schulz's "Lil Folks" and Saturday Evening Post cartoons in 1947.

Had German and Norwegian ancestry.

Biography/bibliography in "Contemporary Authors", New Revision Series, Vol. 132, pp. 342-354. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale (2005).

Biography in "American National Biography", Supplement 1, pp. 548-550. New York: Oxford University Press (2002).

1978: Named International Cartoonist of the Year.

Inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame (1993), and the United States Figure Skating Hall of Fame (2007).