Fast Facts on Dr. Seuss
- Dr. Seuss's real name is Theodore Seuss Geisel.
- Born on March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts.
- He started using his pen name after he was kicked off Dartmouth College's humor magazine editing board due to in 1925.
- "Seuss" was his mother's maiden name, and she inspired him with his well-known rhymes. He used "Dr." as part of his name because his father always wanted him to be a doctor.
- He never had any biological children. He always said, "You make them, I'll amuse them."
- The first book he wrote and illustrated was And To Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street in 1937.
- In 1942, Seuss made WWII propaganda films with Oscar-winning director Frank Capra.
- Wrote and illustrated advertisements for General Electric, Standard Oil, and NBC.
- Editor Bennett Cerf bet Dr. Seuss he couldn't write a book using 50 or fewer words. The result was 1960's Green Eggs and Ham.
- Popularized the terms "nerd" and "grinch".
- He has written and illustrated 4 children's books, 2 adult books, and has been translated in over 15 languages.
- Died September 24, 1991.
