Peanuts

Charles M. Schulz introduced Peanuts to the world on October 2, 1950. The comic ran daily and Sunday for nearly 50 years until Schulz announced his retirement in December 1999 due to failing health. The final original daily strip was published in February 2000, the day before his death.

Snoopy is explicitly drawn as a purebred beagle, a fact frequently referenced and joked about by Charlie Brown throughout the strip's run. Despite his mundane breed, Snoopy lives a rich fantasy life, pretending to be a World War I Flying Ace or a famous author. He is arguably the most globally recognized beagle in pop culture history.

In the official canon of the Peanuts comic strip, Charlie Brown never once successfully kicked the football while Lucy was holding it. In a famous 1999 storyline, Lucy's brother Rerun holds the ball, but the kick is unseen, leaving it ambiguous. However, Schulz confirmed that as long as he drew the strip, Lucy never let Charlie Brown kick it.

Over 45 animated television specials and four theatrical films were produced featuring the Peanuts characters. The most famous is 'A Charlie Brown Christmas,' which premiered on CBS in 1965 and won both an Emmy and a Peabody Award. These specials have been broadcast annually during the holidays for over half a century.