Believe It or Not

It’s Robert Ripley’s Birthday!

 Robert Ripley was a man who had the ability to illustrate any image, turning it into something magical. A cartoonist, entrepreneur, and amateur anthropologist, he was born 123 years ago in Santa Rosa, California on December 25. Considered also by many to be a true American folk hero, he was a Renaissance man in many ways.

He was most famous for his cartoons and text about ‘unbelievable’ facts that ranged from sports feats to little known tidbits of information about unusual and exotic sites. He made these little known facts popular when he created Ripley’s Believe it or Not! newspaper panel series, radio show, and television show.

Ripley once said, “You must carry along with you a lively imagination and plenty of romance in your soul. Some of the most wonderful things in the world will seem dull and drab unless you view them in the proper light.”

This was one of Ripley’s better-known quotes, which was just a part of the wonderful legacy he left us. In the wake of his shared discoveries there at about museums and theme parks around the world dedicated to his work.

If you would like to learn more about Ripley, you can read an  interview with author Neal Thomspon, who recently wrote A Curious Man: The Strange and Brilliant Life of Robert “Believe It or Not!”