Alan Alexander Milne was a renowned English novelist, short story writer, poet, and playwright. He was born in 1882 in Kilburn, London, to John Vine Milne, a teacher and the operator of Henley House School, where Alan and his family lived. Milne's early education took place at his father's school, where he was taught by the novelist H.G. Wells.
In 1903, Milne graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge, with a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics. He then began contributing texts to "Punch," the leading humor magazine of the United Kingdom, and in 1905, he published his debut novel, "Lovers in London." Milne later grew to dislike this work.
In 1913, Milne married Dorothy "Daphne" de Sélincourt, and during World War I, he joined the British Army, serving in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and later the Royal Corps of Signals. After the war, he worked as a signals instructor and then as a propaganda writer for MI7.
In the 1920s, Milne began writing children's stories, inspired by his relationship with his son Christopher Robin. His most famous works from this period include the Winnie-the-Pooh stories, which were illustrated by Ernest Howard Shepard and have since become beloved classics.
In addition to his work on Winnie-the-Pooh, Milne wrote several other novels, including "Once on a Time" and "The Red House Mystery," as well as plays and screenplays. He also wrote non-fiction books, such as "Peace With Honour" and "War with Honour," which expressed his pacifist views during World War II.
Milne's later years were marked by declining popularity and personal struggles. He was estranged from his son Christopher Robin, and his marriage to Daphne de Sélincourt was unhappy. Milne died on January 31, 1956, at the age of 74.
Despite his personal struggles, Milne's legacy as a writer and creator of beloved characters has endured. His works continue to be widely read and enjoyed, and his characters, including Winnie-the-Pooh and Christopher Robin, remain iconic figures in children's literature.
