Robert Ripley
Robert LeRoy Ripley (December 25,1890 - May 27, 1949) was an entrepreneur, an anthropologist and a cartoonist who created the world famous Ripley's Believe It or Not! series. Born in Santa Rosa, California, he was an aspiring professional baseball player until he was injured in 1913, the same year his first cartoon appeared in a newspaper. During his life, Ripley had visited 201 countries by his death, collecting info, and strange oddities to appear in his columns and cartoons. Because of his journeys, many dubbed him the "modern Marco Polo".
Ripley, in 1949, began televising a special. He only completed a mere 13 episodes, however, as he became incapacitated by severe health, and before this, had passed out during the filming of his final show. His health became worse, and on 27 May, at the age of 58, died as the result of a heart attack. His ideas and his legacy lives on in a company which bears his namesake, which airs national television shows, and features publications of Ripley's so-called "oddities". He is buried in his hometown of Santa Rosa. The Church of the One Tree, a church built entirely from the wood of a single 300 foot tall redwood tree, and made popular by Ripley, stands on the north side of Juilliard Park in downtown Santa Rosa.
Some called Ripley a liar, and accused him of exaggerating, but Ripley, throughout the years and in his claims, gave appropriate sources, and also claimed to be able to "prove every statement he made".
He will be played by Jim Carrey in the 2007 film Believe It or Not.
Chronology
- 1890 Born in Santa Rosa, California on Christmas Day
- 1901 Receives his formal education
- 1906 Becomes a semi-pro in baseball, and sold his first artwork
- 1908 Quits baseball briefly to support mother, sells first cartoon to Life
- 1909 Moves from San Francisco Bulletin to Chronicle
- 1912 Created his last drawing for Chronicle, he moved to New York that winter
- 1913 January 2, First comic for the globe
- 1913 Tries out for New York Giants but injury ends his baseball hopes
- 1914 Takes his first trip to Europe
- 1918 December 19, publishes Champs and Chumps in New York Globe
- 1919 Marries Beatrice Roberts
- 1920 Takes his first solo trip to Europe, covered Antwerp, Belgium’s Olympics
- 1922 December 3, takes first trip around the world, writes in his travel journal in installments
- 1923 April 7, returns to U.S., hires researcher and linguist Norbert Pearlroth
- 1923 Globe replaced by New York Post
- 1925 Writes travel journal, Handball Guide
- 1926 Becomes New York handball champion, writes book on "Boxing Score"
- 1929 July 9, William Randolph Hearst's King Features Syndicate features Believe It or Not! in 17 papers worldwide
- 1930 Begins an 18-year run on radio and a 19 year association with show producer Doug Storer, Hearst funds Ripley's travels to 201 countries by 1940, on location live radio from underwater, the sky, caves, snake pits and foreign countries
- 1931 Releases movie shorts for Vitaphone, second book of Believe it or Not! released
- 1932 Takes trip to the Far East
- 1933 First Odditorium opens in Chicago
- 1934 First radio show broadcast simultaneously around world, purchases 28-room home in Mamaroneck, New York
- 1935 Odditorium in San Diego opens
- 1936 Odditorium in Dallas opens, Ripley voted most popular man in America
- 1937 Odditorium in Cleveland opens, First published Charles Schulz drawing appears in Believe it or Not!
- 1939 Odditoriums open in San Francisco and New York City, receives honorary degree from Dartmouth College
- 1940 Purchases second home, a 13-room Manhattan apartment, receives two more honorary degrees
- 1940–1945 Stops foreign travel to do World War II charity work
- 1946 Purchases a Chinese junk, the Mon Lei
- 1947 Purchases his third home at Hi Mount, Florida
- 1948 Radio program ends, 30th anniversary of Believe it or Not! celebrated at a New York costume party
- 1949 First TV show airs, Ripley dies May 27 shortly after 13th telecast, and buried in Santa Rosa. Auction of his estate, purchased by John Arthur.
