Robert Ripley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
LeRoy Robert Ripley
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Ripley in 1940
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| Born | February 22, 1890 Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
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| Died | May 27, 1949 (aged 59) New York City, U.S.
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| Resting place | Oddfellows Lawn Cemetery, Santa Rosa, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | |
| Years active | 1920s–1949 |
| Known for | Creator of Ripley's Believe It or Not! |
| Board member of | Ripley Entertainment |
| Spouse(s) | |
LeRoy Robert Ripley (born around December 25, 1890 – died May 27, 1949) was an American cartoonist and businessman. He was famous for creating Ripley's Believe It or Not!. This popular series shared strange and amazing facts from all over the world. It appeared in newspapers, on TV, and on the radio.
Ripley's cartoons showed everything from amazing sports achievements to little-known facts about unusual places. He also included ideas sent in by his readers. These readers would send photos of odd things, like strangely shaped vegetables or animals with unique markings. Ripley would then draw these oddities for his series.
Contents
About Robert Ripley's Life
LeRoy Robert Ripley was born in Santa Rosa, California, around December 25, 1890. When his father passed away, he left high school to help his family. At 16, he started working as a sports cartoonist for newspapers. In 1913, he moved to New York City.
The Start of Believe It or Not!
While drawing cartoons for The New York Globe, Ripley created his first "Believe It or Not!" cartoon. It was published on December 19, 1918. People loved it, so the cartoon began appearing every week.
In 1919, Ripley married film actress Beatrice Roberts. He took his first trip around the world in 1922. He wrote about his travels in newspapers. He became very interested in strange and exciting places and cultures. To make sure his facts were true, he hired a researcher named Norbert Pearlroth in 1923. Pearlroth helped him find and check unusual facts. In 1926, Ripley's cartoons moved to the New York Post.
Growing Popularity and New Adventures
Throughout the 1920s, Ripley's work became more popular. He wrote a guide for American handball in 1925. In 1926, he even became the New York State handball champion. He also wrote a book about boxing.
His talent caught the eye of William Randolph Hearst, a big name in publishing. In 1929, Hearst helped Believe It or Not! appear in 17 newspapers worldwide. This made the series a huge success. Ripley then published the first book collection of his newspaper cartoons.
On November 3, 1929, Ripley drew a cartoon saying, "Believe It or Not, America has no national anthem." Many people thought "The Star-Spangled Banner" was the anthem. But Congress had never officially made it so. In 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" officially became the national anthem of the United States.
Global Travels and Odditoriums
Ripley earned a lot of money in the 1930s. He had many people working for him, including researchers and artists. They helped him find new oddities. He traveled the world looking for strange things. He also expanded his work to include radio and Hollywood movies.
Hearst's company paid for Ripley's many trips. He recorded live radio shows from amazing places. These included underwater, from the sky, inside Carlsbad Caverns, and at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. He even broadcast from snake pits!
In 1931, he hosted the first of many Believe It or Not! short films for Warner Bros.. He also appeared in a musical short film. After a trip to Asia in 1932, he opened his first museum, called the Odditorium, in Chicago in 1933. These museums were a big hit! At one point, Odditoriums were in many cities like San Diego, Dallas, Cleveland, San Francisco, and New York City.
By this time, The New York Times had voted Ripley the most popular man in America. He even received an honorary degree from Dartmouth College.
Later Years and Legacy
During World War II, Ripley could not travel the world. So, he focused on charity work. In 1948, the Believe It or Not! radio show ended. It was replaced by a Believe It or Not! television series. This was a bold step, as very few Americans had TVs back then.
Ripley only completed 13 episodes of the TV series. He became very ill and passed away from a heart attack on May 27, 1949, at age 59. He was buried in his hometown of Santa Rosa, California.
The Believe It or Not! Comic Strip
Ripley's cartoon series was read by an estimated 80 million people worldwide. It is said he received more mail than the President of the United States! He became very rich, with homes in New York and Florida. But he always remembered his hometown of Santa Rosa, California. He often featured the Church of One Tree in his work. This church was built entirely from the wood of a single, tall redwood tree.
Ripley always said he could "prove every statement he made." This was thanks to his researcher, Norbert Pearlroth. Pearlroth worked for 52 years, finding and checking unusual facts for Ripley. After Ripley's death, Pearlroth continued to work for the King Features syndicate, which took over the cartoon.
Other artists and editors also worked on the series after Ripley. These included Paul Frehm, who became the main artist in 1949, and his brother Walter Frehm.
Ripley's Lasting Impact
Ripley's ideas and legacy continue today through Ripley Entertainment. This company owns many attractions, including Ripley's Aquarium and Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museums. They also have Ripley's Haunted Adventure, mini-golf, moving theaters, and sightseeing trains. The company also manages Guinness World Records Attractions and Louis Tussaud's Wax Museums.
Key Moments in Ripley's Life
- 1890 Born in Santa Rosa, California.
- 1906 Becomes a semi-pro baseball player in school.
- 1908 Sells his first cartoon to Life magazine.
- 1912 Moves to New York City.
- 1913 Writes his first comic for the New York Globe.
- 1918 Publishes his first "Champs and Chumps" cartoon, which became "Believe It or Not!".
- 1919 Marries Beatrice Roberts.
- 1922 Takes his first trip around the world.
- 1923 Hires researcher Norbert Pearlroth.
- 1926 Becomes New York handball champion.
- 1929 William Randolph Hearst's King Features Syndicate starts featuring Believe It or Not! in many newspapers.
- 1930 Begins his radio show.
- 1931 Releases movie shorts and a second Believe It or Not! book.
- 1933 Opens his first Odditorium museum in Chicago.
- 1934 Does the first radio show broadcast around the world.
- 1939 Odditoriums open in San Francisco and New York City.
- 1945 Stops foreign travel to do World War II charity work.
- 1948 His radio program ends and the TV show begins.
- 1949 Dies of a heart attack on May 27 in New York City.
See also
In Spanish: Robert Ripley para niños
