Author. Born Thomas Michael Bond, he was best known for creating the Paddington Bear character that is well loved by generations of children worldwide. He attended Presentation College in Reading, Berkshire, England, but left school after awhile and went to work in a solicitor's office for a year and then as an engineer's assistant for the BBC. He later served in the Middlesex Regiment of the British Army until 1947. Although he started writing in 1945 while he was stationed in the British army in Cairo, Egypt, his first book wasn't published until 13 years later when he was working for the BBC. The book was "A Bear Called Paddington" and was about a bear from deepest, "darkest Peru," sent to the U.K. by his aunt Lucy. Paddington Bear carried a jar of marmalade and a note to his finder to "please look after this bear". The character was adopted by the Brown family, who named him after Paddington Station where they found him. Paddington Bear proved so popular that by 1965, he quit his BBC job to devote his full-time efforts to writing. His books recounting Paddington Bear's world adventures have sold more than 35 million copies that have been published in nearly 20 countries and have been translated into more than 40 languages. Paddington has inspired pop bands, race horses, plays, hot air balloons, a TV series, and two movies. The 2014 movie has grossed more than $265 million worldwide. In 2015 he was named a commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II as part of her birthday celebration.
Author. Born Thomas Michael Bond, he was best known for creating the Paddington Bear character that is well loved by generations of children worldwide. He attended Presentation College in Reading, Berkshire, England, but left school after awhile and went to work in a solicitor's office for a year and then as an engineer's assistant for the BBC. He later served in the Middlesex Regiment of the British Army until 1947. Although he started writing in 1945 while he was stationed in the British army in Cairo, Egypt, his first book wasn't published until 13 years later when he was working for the BBC. The book was "A Bear Called Paddington" and was about a bear from deepest, "darkest Peru," sent to the U.K. by his aunt Lucy. Paddington Bear carried a jar of marmalade and a note to his finder to "please look after this bear". The character was adopted by the Brown family, who named him after Paddington Station where they found him. Paddington Bear proved so popular that by 1965, he quit his BBC job to devote his full-time efforts to writing. His books recounting Paddington Bear's world adventures have sold more than 35 million copies that have been published in nearly 20 countries and have been translated into more than 40 languages. Paddington has inspired pop bands, race horses, plays, hot air balloons, a TV series, and two movies. The 2014 movie has grossed more than $265 million worldwide. In 2015 he was named a commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II as part of her birthday celebration.
Bio by: Mr. Badger Hawkeye
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