Origins & Early Life

Eric Carle (June 25, 1929 – May 23, 2021) was an American author, designer and illustrator of children's books. His picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, first published in 1969, has been translated into more than 70 languages and sold more than 55 million copies. Carle illustrated over 70 children's books, most of which he also wrote. His books have sold more than 170 million copies around the world.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Carle was born on June 25, 1929, in Syracuse, New York, to German immigrants: Johanna (née Oelschlåger) and Erich W. Carle, a former civil servant. He spent his earliest years immersed in nature and making art, and had happy memories of school—especially art class, a "sun-filled room, large sheets of paper, colourful paints and fat brushes." But when he was six years old, his mother, homesick for Germany, led the family back to Stuttgart. Growing up in Germany, then in thrall to the Nazi regime, was not easy for Carle. Schools were strict, paper rationed, and corporal punishment the norm.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Nazis banned modern art as "degenerate." But when Carle was around 12, a daring teacher, Friedrich Krauss, exposed him to the works of Klee, Matisse and Picasso...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• André Previn — Contemporary (Born in 1929) (1929): Versatile American musician, composer, and conductor mastering jazz, film, and classical forms.
• Anne Frank — Contemporary (Born in 1929) (1929): German-born diarist whose secret writings documented life in hiding during the Holocaust.
• Asa Griggs Candler — Contemporary (Died in 1929) (1929): American business magnate and politician, most famous for founding the Coca-Cola Company.
• Albert Bandura — Contemporary (Died in 2021) (2021): Pioneering psychologist known for Social Cognitive Theory and self-efficacy.
• Antony Hewish — Contemporary (Died in 2021) (2021): Pioneering radio astronomer, celebrated for the discovery of pulsars.
• Beverly Cleary — Contemporary (Died in 2021) (2021): Pioneering author of children's literature, celebrated for emotional realism in middle-class narratives.
• Alexei Abrikosov (physicist) — Shared historical date (06-25 · Born) (1928): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for low-temperature condensed matter physics.
• Antoni Gaudí — Shared historical date (06-25 · Born) (1852): Master exponent of Catalan Modernisme, known for nature-inspired architecture.
• Augustin-Louis Cauchy — Shared historical date (05-23 · Died) (1857): Pioneered real and complex analysis, fundamentally shaping modern mathematics.
• Carl Linnaeus — Shared historical date (05-23 · Born) (1707): Father of modern taxonomy, systematized the naming of life forms.
• 1929 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1929
• June 25 (06-25) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on June 25
• 2021 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 2021
• May 23 (05-23) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on May 23