The original stories about Winnie-the-Pooh and his woodland friends were created by A.A.Milne, who was born in London in 1882. He began writing as a contributor to Punch magazine, and also wrote plays and poetry. Winnie-the-Pooh made his first appearance in Punch magazine in 1923. Soon after, in 1926, Milne published his first stories about Winnie-the-Pooh, which were an instant success. Since then, Pooh has become a world-famous bear, and Milne's stories have been translated into approximately forty different languages.