Ripley, Robert LeRoy (1893-1949), was an American cartoonist who became internationally famous for his cartoon panel “Believe It or Not.” The panel describes oddities and strange facts and occurrences from around the world. At its peak of popularity, “Believe It or Not” had an estimated daily newspaper readership of 80 million. The feature also provided material for lectures and personal appearances by Ripley, and for radio and television shows, books, motion pictures, and museums.
Ripley was born on Dec. 26, 1893, in Santa Rosa, Calif. His given and family name was LeRoy Ripley, and he later added “Robert” to his name. He began his career as a sports cartoonist for the Bulletin and the Chronicle in San Francisco and the Globe in New York City. The first “Believe It or Not” panel appeared in the Globe on Dec. 19, 1918. Ripley died on May 27, 1949.
