Charles+M.+Schulz

== Charles M. Schulz was born on November 26, 1922 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in Saint Paul. His nickname was Sparky. He was the only child of Carl Schulz and Dena Halverson. In 1943, Schulz was drafted into the US Army and served as a sergeant with the 20th Armored Division in Europe as a squad leader on a .50 caliber machine gun team. His first cartoons, Li'l Folks, were published by the St. Paul Pioneer Press from 1947-1950. On October 2, 1950, Peanuts made its first appearance. Peanuts became one of the most popular comic strips ever. Schulz married Joyce Halverson in 1951. They had five children together. Schulz built his first studio in Sebastopol, California. He got divorced in 1972 and a year later married Jean Forsyth Clyde. Schulz enjoyed ice hockey and golf. He continued Peanuts for 50 years, until his retirement in 1999. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a museum in honor of him and Peanuts. Charles M. Schulz died on February 12, 2000. ==