The comic strip Garfield, created by Jim Davis, appeared in newspapers for the
first time on Monday, June 19, 1978. The strip follows the life of the title character,
a cat named Garfield, after Davis’ grandfather, his owner, Jon Arbuckle, and Jon’s
dog Odie. As of 2007, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals,
and held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated
comic strip. Though rarely mentioned, Garfield is set in Muncie, Indiana, the home
of Jim Davis.

Cartoonist Jim Davis

The first published Garfield comic strip 

  
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen (May 2, 1892 – April 21, 1918)

Baron Von Richthofen is best known as “The Red Baron”, a German
fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World 
War I. He is considered the top ace of that war, being officially
credited with 80 air combat victories, more than any other pilot.

He remains quite possibly the most widely-known fighter pilot of all 
time, and has been the subject of many books and films. 

Snoopy’s imaginary battles against the Red Baron began in the comic
strip in October 1965.

 
           
               John Herbert Frid (December 2, 1924 – April 13, 2012)

Jonathan Frid, best remembered for portraying vampire Barnabas Collins in the ABC
television series Dark Shadows (1966-1971), died Friday, April 13 of natural causes
at a hospital in his hometown of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Spinach growers in Crystal City, Texas, erected a statue to honor E.C. Segar 
and his comic strip character Popeye for their positive influence on America’s
eating habits, making Popeye the first cartoon character to be immortalized in
public sculpture. 

E.C. Segar