Every year, National Read Across America Day is celebrated on March 2nd, Dr. Seuss Birthday. The day is designed to encourage reading in children and adults. On March 2nd or a date close, schools will read together to highlight the amazing work of Dr. Seuss.

Who was Dr. Seuss? 

On March 2, 1904, Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Theodor later attended Dartmouth College to earn his bachelors degree. He also attended Lincoln College, Oxford, and Sorbonne for his postgraduate studies. He began to work for Vanity Fair as an illustrator and humorist. Geisel first became known for his ads for Flit insect repellent, some of the characters were later featured in his children’s books. Geisel decided he wanted to write a children’s book and let his imagination take him to a new world. However, he was turned away nearly 30 times before And to Think I Saw It On Mulberry Street before becoming published. Theodor decided to go by a pen name, the Dr. coming from an inside joke about never finishing his doctorate degree. In 1940, Dr. Seuss published Horton Hatches the Egg that introduced his key features: unique humor, playful word choice, and crazy characters.

During World War II, his focus moved from children illustrating to politics. He was an editorial cartoonist for a magazine company in New York City. His cartoons featured his view on American isolationism. Later, he served three years in the Army, where he was a part of the documentary division. In 1945, he wrote Your Job in Germany, which was directed by Frank Capra. The film was remade into Hitler Lives, an award-winning production. However, Dr. Seuss was never credited for his work in the movie. After the war, he wrote an oscar-winning documentary with his wife Helen Palmer Geisel. In 1947, he began to write his children’s stories again, his first being McElligot’s Pool. Around this time, many of his books were influenced by the war. Like Horton Hears a Who!, which was inspired by his visit to Japan in 1953.

In 1957, Dr. Seuss published some of his most popular books: The Cat in the Hat and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In 1958, he founded Beginner Books inc., later becoming a division of Random House. He continued to write books children loved. In 1971, his beloved book, The Lorax, was released. His purpose for the book was to voice his concern for the environment. Soon after, he wrote Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, which continues to be an inspiration to many. In 1991, Dr. Seuss sadly passed in La Jolla, California.

After his death, the University of California named their library “Geisel Library” to honor his impact on literature. In 1998, the National Education Association declared March 2nd National Read Across America Day (AKA Dr. Seuss Day). Also, many of his political cartoons and children’s books were collected and published.

Dr. Seuss’ books allow kids to transport to new words, explore imagination, and fall in love with reading at a young age. He is still making a lasting impact on children today, and will continue into future generations! March 2nd is designed to celebrate the power of reading and honor Dr. Seuss’s legacy.