On This Day - Dec. 24, 1925

On This Day

It was a most auspicious start for 'a bear of very little brain.' On Christmas Eve, 1925, the London Evening News published a short story by writer A.A. Milne. Among its characters was a bear named Winnie-the-Pooh. But it wasn't until the 1980s that the story behind the inspiration for the bear came to light. Winnipegger Fred Colebourn explains Winnie's background to CBC's Midday.

The 'silly old bear' was not pure invention; he was inspired by a real-life bear in the London Zoo. The bear, named 'Winnie' (short for Winnipeg), was a donation from Fred Colebourn's father, Harry, a Canadian Army veterinarian in the First World War. Before becoming a star attraction at the zoo, Winnie was the mascot of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade.