These facts are all about a Seuss, and so on you we let them loose. Read them now, or read them later, read them in an elevator. Read them with your lunch or tea, read them loud, or silently. We do not mind how they are read, just get them right inside your head! And if these facts you did enjoy (about the author as a boy, and how his father owned a zoo, and what he did in World War Two) perhaps you will enjoy some facts about cuddly dogs, or crazy cats? Or perhaps some facts about more books, or killer whales, or how to cook? Our fun facts hub is all the rage, so please relax and read this page!

1. He's From Massachusetts

Dr Seuss was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1904. Seuss wasn't his real surname, it was his middle name, his full name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, and his background was German. Traditional, 'Seuss' is pronounced more like 'Soyce', but Dr Seuss preferred to make it rhyme with 'loose'.

2. His Dad Ran a Zoo

After his dad lost his job running a brewery (shut down because of prohibition), he started working at Springfield's Forest Park Zoo. Suess only lived a short distance away, and must have visited a lot! How many animals can you think of from Dr Seuss books? He even wrote a book called 'If I Ran a Zoo!'

3. He Started His Career at His University Newspaper

Before he wrote children's books, Dr. Seuss (or Ted Geisel as he was known then) wrote for his university magazine, at Dartmouth. In fact, the Dr Seuss name came about after he got in trouble and had to write under a pseudonym!

4. He Had Lots of Pen Names

Dr Seuss wasn't his only pen name! Before he settled on his most famous name, Ted Geisel was also know as Rossetta Stone, Theophrastus Seuss and Theo LeSieg!

5. His First Children's Book Came Out in 1937

Dr Seuss's first book for children was published in 1937, after being turned down by lots of publishers. It was called 'And to Think I Saw it On Mulberry Street', about a boy making up a story for his father on his walk home.

6. Dr Seuss Made Propaganda Posters for WW2

Like lots of artists during the second world war, Seuss turned his talents to propaganda in favour of the USA and the allies. These included posters urging people to buy war bonds and support the war effort, and would be published in newspapers and magazines.

7. He Invented the Word 'Nerd'

Dr Seuss is supposed to have been the first person to use the word 'nerd' - in his book 'If I Ran the Zoo' from the 1950s, in which the word is a name for a fluffy yellow creature with a grumpy expression.

8. Green Eggs and Ham Was Written For a Bet

Even though its one of his most famous books, Green Eggs and Ham was actually only written because of a bet! His publisher bet Seuss that he couldn't write a book for children using only 50 words - and Green Eggs and Ham was the result!

9. His Second Wife Didn't Know He Was Famous

After his first wife passed away, Seuss remarried a woman named Aubrey, who worked as a nurse. When a friend introduced her to 'Dr. Seuss' she assumed he was a medical doctor!

10. He Never Had Any Children

Even though he mostly wrote for children and was very popular with them, Dr Seuss never had any of his own. In fact, he didn't seem to want any, much preferring to create books for them. He said of children 'You make them, I amuse them!'

11. People Used to Phone Him for Fish

Dr Seuss's telephone number was only one digit off from the local fishmonger - which meant he'd often get calls with orders for fish! Instead of telling them the right phone number, he would send them a drawing of a fish!

12. He Collected Hats

Dr Seuss started collecting hats in the 1930s - everything from horned helmets to Easter bonnets, and at one stage owned hundreds! In 2014, an exhibition of some of his hats toured the US, ending in his hometown of Springfield.

13. Dr Seuss Had a Weird Case of Stage Fright

Lots of people get stage fright, but the way Dr Seuss got it is pretty unique...in 1918, aged 14, Seuss was a Boy Scout, and he was due to be given a medal for selling war bonds. President Teddy Roosevelt was meant to present the medal, but unfortunately, they ran out before they got to Seuss. Teddy didn't know this, and he started shouting that Seuss should get off the stage! Ever since then, he was always terrified of public speaking!

14. He Won Two Oscars

Along side lots of awards and prizes for writing, Dr Seuss is also a two-time Oscar winner! One award for for an animated short called 'Gerald McBoing Boing' all the way back in 1951. The other was for a documentary about Japan released in 1947, after the war had ended, which he co-wrote with his first wife Helen.

15. He's Left a Complicated Legacy

Although Dr Seuss's books continue to delight millions of children today, some of his work is a bit more problematic. He used some harmful stereotypes in his books and pictures about certain groups of people and races, and those books aren't widely available today. Luckily, we can still enjoy the best bits of his work whilst learning about why other parts of it were wrong.