Happy Birthday, Hans Christian Andersen!
Though tall and awkward, Andersen originally dreamed of becoming an actor. He moved to Copenhagen in hopes of performing at the Royal Theater. The directors were less than impressed and paid for young Andersen to go to school. After graduating from Copenhagen University and spending some time traveling, Andersen set down to write. His first collection of fairy tales was a tremendous success, and Andersen’s fame continued to grow. To this day, The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and so many of Andersen’s stories inspire telling (and retelling) from the page to the stage.
Learn more about the author’s life and work at Scholastic.com.
