Snoopy: The Beagle Who Became the Most Famous Dog Ever Drawn
No living dog has been famous as long as Snoopy. He predates the interstate highway system, color television, and the space program he ended up mascoting. Schulz drew him for the first Sunday of “Peanuts” in 1950, and a beagle who never speaks a word out loud became one of the most recognized characters on the planet.
Who Snoopy is
Snoopy is Charlie Brown’s pet beagle, though “pet” undersells him — he has a full interior life the humans never hear. Schulz modeled him on a childhood dog named Spike, a black-and-white mixed breed with the same markings. Snoopy debuted on October 4, 1950, two days after the very first “Peanuts” strip, wasn’t named until that November, and only started “thinking” in visible thought balloons in 1952. That single invention — a dog with a running inner monologue — is what turned him from a background pet into the strip’s breakout star.
The flying ace and the parade balloon
Snoopy’s fame runs on his alter egos. Perched atop his red doghouse, he flies imaginary missions against the Red Baron as a World War I flying ace — a bit so durable it spawned songs, specials, and merchandise for decades. He became a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon in 1968 and has floated in more of them than any other character. The beagle who lives on top of his house, not in it, is the rare cartoon dog whose fantasy life is more famous than his real one.
NASA’s actual mascot
Here is the fact that surprises people: Snoopy is a genuine NASA icon, not a marketing stunt. In 1968 he became the mascot of the agency’s manned-flight safety-awareness program, and Schulz designed the astronaut-Snoopy image himself and let NASA use it for free. The Silver Snoopy award — a sterling-silver pin that has actually flown in space — is handed out by astronauts to fewer than one percent of the aerospace workforce each year for contributions to flight safety. A comic-strip beagle became one of the highest peer honors in American spaceflight.
Snoopy leads our roundup of the most famous cartoon dogs, and he sits near the top of the internet’s most famous dogs for sheer staying power.
Frequently asked questions
What breed is Snoopy?
Snoopy is a beagle. Charles Schulz modeled him on a black-and-white childhood dog named Spike, and the beagle look has stayed consistent for more than 70 years.
Why is Snoopy a NASA mascot?
Snoopy became NASA’s manned-flight safety mascot in 1968. Schulz designed the astronaut-Snoopy image and let NASA use it for free, and the Silver Snoopy award — a silver pin flown in space — is still given by astronauts to top safety contributors.
When did Snoopy first appear?
Snoopy first appeared in the “Peanuts” comic strip on October 4, 1950, two days after the strip debuted. He was named that November and began showing thought balloons in 1952.
