Bears have made their mark on history, not only in the wild but also in literature, war, and even Hollywood. They’ve been heroes, firefighters to paratroopers, and have impacted the world in an unusal way. Let’s discover how and why.
1. Smokey Bear – The Fire Safety Icon
A cartoon character drawn in 1944, ‘Smokey’ became reality in 1950 when a black bear cub was saved from a forest fire. He had been severely burned and rehabilitated and lived the rest of his life at the National Zoo. Smokey got so many letters that he was given a zip code of his own!
2. Ben Franklin – Friend of Grizzly Adams
John “Grizzly” Adams had befriended a bear cub called Ben Franklin during the Gold Rush. Ben Franklin was so faithful a friend that he saved John Adams once from a killer bear attack. Their mythical friendship gave rise to books and the popular TV show The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams.
3. Wojtek – The Soldier Bear
A Syrian brown bear adopted by the Polish II Corps during WWII, Wojtek enjoyed beer, cigarettes, and camaraderie. Recruited as a private with a duty to carry out basic orders to bypass camp rules, he bravely carried ammunition into battle. Post-war, he lived out his life at the Edinburgh Zoo, where he was a popular attraction.
4. Byron’s University Bear
Lord Byron, the renowned poet, was not allowed a pet dog at Cambridge and therefore opted for a bear intead. As the university rules did not have any ban on bears, it remained. Byron jokingly said that his bear could apply for a fellowship. The bear was said to have led a happy life in his house.
5. Paddington – The Politest Bear
This imagined Peruvian bear in his iconic duffle coat and marmalade obsession won hearts from 1958. Brought to mind by Michael Bond while watching an isolated teddy bear in a shop, Paddington kept appearing in books, TV shows, and Hollywood blockbuster films.
6. The First Teddy Bear
President Theodore Roosevelt declined to shoot a trussed-up bear while on a hunting excursion in 1902. A cartoon of the incident prompted a toymaker to make the first teddy bear. The name was approved by Roosevelt, unknowingly starting a toy fad that still exists today.
7. Bart – The Hollywood Star
Bart the Bear, a Hollywood grizzly performing bear, was a legend in Hollywood. He co-starred on movie screens with A-list celebrities Brad Pitt and Robert Redford. His largest role was in The Bear (1988), which resulted in an Oscar nomination. Bart’s charisma made him an animal actor celebrity.
8. Ursa Major – The Ancient Celestial Bear
Ursa Major, or Latin “Great Bear,” has guided wayfarers for thousands of years. It’s one of the oldest star patterns known, showing that bears have been influencing human history even from the skies.
9. Rocky: The Paratrooper Bear
The 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team adopted Rocky from a zoo, and she became a skydiving legend. She had five parachute jumps before she was officially recognized as a paratrooper. While the animal clearly didn’t like the jumps, she became a popular military mascot.
10. Winnipeg: The Real Winnie-the-Pooh
Canadian bear cub Winnie was purchased by a WWI soldier and was eventually donated to the London Zoo. She enchanted a boy named Christopher Robin, who named his teddy in her honor. His father, A.A. Milne, went on to write the Winnie-the-Pooh tales that enchanted the world.
Why We Love Bears
We are fascinated with bears from war heroes to children’s fantasies. Whether flesh and blood or fantasy, they are brave, smart, and charming and move us still today. They’re not just creatures of the woods. They’ve made a mark on our heritage, our history, and our youth.
A Timeless Connection Between Bear And Man
These ten bears show us that history doesn’t only involve humans. These bears’ stories, whether warlike, imagined, humorous, or touching, remind us of the special relationship between bears and humans.
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