Robert LeRoy Ripley (12/26/1893 – 5/27/1949) was the founder of Ripley’s Believe it or Not newspaper cartoon which featured odd and unusual facts, oddities and talents.
On December 19, 1918 he was working in New York with the New York Globe newspaper drawing cartoons when he drew his first Believe it or Not! Cartoon, It featured 9 athletic believe it or not drawings. Readers loved it so much it became a weekly, then daily feature in the newspaper. In 1929 Robert Ripley put out a book of his strange findings, followed by several more in the 1930’s.
After his death in 1949 others have taken over and the books are still very popular and still being published. Over two million books have been sold in the past two years. As well there are now museums all over the world including North America, Asia and Europe. Robert Ripley claimed to have visited 198 countries looking for more oddities. The feature Believe it or Not was originally called Champs or Chumps but was changed since he editor wasn’t a fan of the title.
Robert Ripley had a big effect on many and even drew a cartoon that some believe to be the reason ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ is now the national anthem. Robert drew a cartoon about how the USA does not have a national anthem on January 1rst 1931. Soon enough letters were pouring in to the congress asking to make ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ the official national anthem and on March 3, 1931 it was.
Robert L. Ripley was a famous man and loved by many. He somehow managed to find the strangest people and talents from all over the world and bring them into your world. Some were disgusting, some were strange and some were just down right amazing. People go out of there way, now, to practice there skill or talent in hopes of being in the Ripley book or show.
www.britannica.com www.ripleys.com www.imdb.com
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