Charlie Brown is a cultural touchstone that teaches all of us how to overcome obstacles and get through a bad day. Charlie, the main character in the Peanuts comic strip and TV specials that followed, is portrayed as a loveable loser who faces hardships often, which affects his confidence and makes him nervous. Like any kid, he can be optimistic about the day’s adventures and other times he doesn’t want to do anything because the day might end in ruin.

Charles Schulz created Charlie Brown as a caricature of the average person. He introduced Charlie 70 years ago in a comic strip on October 2, 1950. In his first appearance, Charlie walks by Shermy and Patty, who are sitting on a bench. Shermy calls him “good ol’ Charlie Brown” until he walks past them, then he turns to Patty and declares that he hates Charlie.

In the early days of the strip, Charlie was shown as a more playful character, playing pranks and jokes on other characters. The zigzag on his shirt was added after two months and in March of 1951 he was shown playing baseball.

Though Charlie and Violet Gray initially got along when she was introduced, it wasn’t long until she started calling him a blockhead. Soon after in another strip Charlie fails at kicking a football because Violet keeps moving her hand since she thinks he’ll kick her instead.

Schroeder joined the strip in May 1951, though he is still a baby and can’t communicate with Charlie. A month later Charlie Brown said that he felt like a father to Schroeder, eventually teaching him how to play piano, which led to Schroeder becoming a prodigy on the instrument. In November of that year Charlie told Schroeder about Beethoven and put a bust of the composer on his piano. Schroeder started to age quickly to catch up to Charlie and the gang, changing their relationship to one of friendship.

The first time he interacted with Lucy van Pelt was in March 1952, though they were friendlier in the early days, playfully teasing each other. A few months later in November Lucy screwed up Charlie’s chance to kick a football for the first time. She pulls the ball away before he can kick it because she thinks he’ll get her new football dirty.

He meets Linus van Pelt for the first time in September 1952, though he was a baby at the time. Like Schroeder he started aging rapidly to catch up with the other kids, though he did remain a little younger than Charlie. By the mid-‘50s Linus and Charlie were established as being best friends, which continues to the present.

Charlie and the Peanuts gang made their first animated appearance in early 1959 after being sponsored by Ford for car commercials then started appearing in intros for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show.

The Peanuts entered what is considered their most successful period in the ‘60s when the strip extended into many countries. In 1960 Charlie Brown was added to Hallmark’s greeting card lineup. After the Tennessee Ernie Ford Show ended Schulz and animator Bill Meléndez collaborated with producer Lee Mendelson for the two-minute animated documentary A Boy Named Charlie Brown in ’63.

Before the animated short documentary aired, Mendelson was approached by Coca-Cola to develop a Christmas TV special. He contacted Schulz and Meléndez about the idea and soon after, A Charlie Brown Christmas came to fruition, airing for the first time in December 1965. The special, which aimed to show “the true meaning of Christmas” it was a huge success and became an annual tradition.

The Christmas special led to the second TV special, Charlie Brown’s All-Stars, which aired in June 1966. In October of that year the Halloween special It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, made its debut.

Jumping from screen to stage, the concept album You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown was given a musical adaptation. The performance featured skits based on the comic strips set to music and premiered on Off-Broadway in March ’67.

Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the first full-length animated feature, was released in December 1969. It was another big success for Charlie and the gang.

During the ‘70s, Charlie Brown starred in 12 TV specials and 2 full-length films, Snoopy, Come Home and Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown. The stage production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown opened in June 1971, running 32 performances throughout the month.

He starred in 14 more TV specials in the ‘80s as well as two musicals, one of which was based on You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Charlie Brown was also in his next animated movie, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don’t Come Back!!). He was in six more specials in the ‘90s.

Charlie Brown had his final comic strip in February 2000 after Schulz’s death. The character continued to appear in more TV specials through the 2000s, like He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown and Happiness Is a Warm Blanket Charlie Brown. In 2015 he was given the computer animation treatment for The Peanuts Movie.

Not a bad run for a kid who often feels down on his luck. Happy birthday Charlie Brown!