20 Things You Didn’t Know About Snoopy

The "Peanuts" comic strip was officially published for the first time on October 2, 1950, but it wasn’t until October 4 that Snoopy made his first appearance in the newspaper. Although he appeared as early as the very first week of the series, he was not present in the actual first publication. The comic strip was initially published in seven newspapers before becoming one of the most famous comic strips in the world.

In the very beginning, Snoopy didn’t really act like the imaginative superstar that readers know and love today. When he first appeared, he walked on all fours and behaved more like an ordinary puppy. It’s hard to imagine today, but there was a time when readers didn’t expect much from this little guy. 

Spike, Charles M. Schulz’s childhood dog, helped inspire Snoopy’s appearance and personality. (Thanks, Spike.) That doesn’t mean Spike didn’t make an appearance! Interestingly, Schulz later gave that name to Snoopy’s brother who lives in the desert—which is a great way to reuse the name.

In the early “Peanuts” comic strips, Snoopy didn’t immediately take on his well-known role as Charlie Brown’s pet, even though it’s hard to imagine him any other way today. In the beginning, however, he was more like a stray dog belonging to the whole neighborhood than to any one child in particular. 

Snoopy’s first hilarious thought appeared on March 16, 1952. That single speech bubble paved the way for his personal opinions, his literary ambitions, and his meaningful adventures. Once readers were able to hear what Snoopy was thinking, he ceased to be just a dog and became one of the most memorable characters in comics.

Snoopy wasn’t always lying on the roof of his doghouse, raising his fist to the sky and battling his inner demons. No, that didn’t happen until later, and his first known appearance—in which he was sleeping on the roof—actually dates back to December 12, 1958. 

Snoopy is a prolific writer—believe me! His career officially began in July 1965, when Schulz placed a typewriter on the roof of his doghouse. His famous opening line, “It was a dark and stormy night,” is taken from Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and Schulz used it to make Snoopy a delightfully stubborn aspiring novelist. 

Snoopy has more than one title to his name, and that of World War I ace is just one of them. In fact, it was on October 10, 1965, that he first became a flying ace; in that dream, his doghouse had turned into a Sopwith Camel, and the Red Baron had become his greatest rival. The rest is history. 

Listen, Snoopy is the kind of character who likes to reinvent himself from time to time, as readers have seen with his alter ego “Joe Cool.” He first appeared on May 27, 1971, as a student wearing sunglasses, after years of other transformations. The joke works because Snoopy pretends to be the kind of student who seems perfectly at ease at college, even though he’s just leaning against a wall. 

It’s hard to imagine Snoopy without Woodstock, but this adorable bird didn’t get his name until after he was created. Technically, Schulz didn’t give him that name until June 22, 1970, and the name is associated with the 1969 Woodstock music festival (as you can probably guess).

Snoopy made it all the way to the Moon—at least in name—even if his footprints didn’t stay there! During the Apollo 10 mission in 1969, NASA used “Charlie Brown” as the call sign for the command module and “Snoopy” as the call sign for the lunar module. The mission launched on May 18, and NASA’s official documents regarding Apollo 10 still refer to the lunar module by this nickname today.

Speaking of NASA, the connection didn’t end with Apollo 10. The communication cap worn under the helmets during the Apollo era was also nicknamed the “Snoopy cap” because of its black-and-white appearance, which resembled Snoopy’s head and ears. NASA’s Silver Snoopy Award has also become a prestigious honor for employees who have contributed to improving flight safety and mission success.

You know you’ve made it when you officially take to the skies during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. That’s exactly what Snoopy did, with his own fleet of balloons, back in 1968! That very first balloon featured him in his World War I flying ace outfit, which makes perfect sense since that character had already become one of his defining traits. 

Believe it or not, Schulz originally wanted to name this now-famous dog “Sniffy,” but he realized that another comic strip was already using that name. He then remembered that his mother had once said that if the family ever got another dog, they should name it “Snoopy,” and it was that little memory that ultimately gave its name to one of the most recognizable comic strip characters.

Charlie Brown remained the emotional backbone of Peanuts, but it was Snoopy who propelled the comic strip into the realm of pure imagination. In the 1960s, he was everything at once: a novelist, a pilot, a lawyer—or whatever the gag called for. This versatility helped make him the face of the franchise.

Not everyone necessarily appreciates Snoopy’s adorable face. His popularity has even made him one of the most commercialized characters in American pop culture, and some critics have argued that this massive commercialization has made Peanuts far too ubiquitous compared to Schulz’s modest newspaper comic strip. 

Whether we like it or not, Snoopy’s meteoric rise to fame earned him the 2,563rd star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 2, 2015. His star was dedicated in the “Motion Pictures” category and placed near that of Schulz himself. 

Official documents about Peanuts note that Schulz described Snoopy’s personality as “a bit bittersweet,” which isn’t hard to notice as you read on. Schulz loved the fact that Snoopy could win, lose, become a hero, or turn into a disaster, all while taking refuge in the world of imagination when things went wrong. If you read the original comic strips, you’ll see that Snoopy’s funniest moments often have a softer side; he doesn’t just seek the spotlight—he faces the situation head-on.

Schulz passed away in 2000, and the last Peanuts comic strip was published that same year. Snoopy, however, kept the show going, maintaining a public presence through television, merchandise, museums, books, and commemorative projects. And it’s not about to stop anytime soon! In 2025, Sony agreed to acquire an additional stake in Peanuts Holdings, bringing its share to 80%, while the Schulz family retained 20%.

Snoopy’s longevity stems from his ability to seem both old-fashioned and contemporary. Sure, he’s been commercialized a bit, but he hails from a comic strip that debuted in 1950, and his little touches of confidence fit right in with today’s world. After more than 75 years of “Peanuts,” Snoopy remains one of the few characters capable of taking a nap in his doghouse while still reigning supreme.