1. Tigger made his first appearance in the book The House at Pooh Corner, which was published in 1928. That was the second volume of the beloved stories written by A. A. Milne. Likewise, Tigger didn’t appear until the second Winnie the Pooh animated featurette, Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day , which was released in 1968.

2. That makes Tigger’s birthday a bit ambiguous, as one could argue he was born in either 1928 or 1968, quite a difference! Disney often lists his birthday as 1968, making him quite young in relation to other Disney characters.

3. As everyone knows, the proper way to spell “Tigger” is T-I-doubleguh- err. Curiously, the word “tiger” is never mentioned in any of the Winnie the Pooh stories. One might choose to be careful when relying on Tigger for pronunciation advice, however. He has been known to mangle the English language at times; notable examples include “ridicarus” for “ridiculous” and “recoganize” for “recognize.” (You can admit it: You sometimes say those words the exact same way, don’t you?)

4. Like Winnie the Pooh, you can see the original stuffed animal that inspired Tigger in the Children’s Center at 42nd Street of the New York Public Library. Appropriately, at one time the nearby Winnie the Pooh book was opened to the “Tigger Has Breakfast” chapter.

5. So what do Tiggers eat for bre akfast? Certainly not hunny, much to Winnie the Pooh’s delight. He also won’t eat haycorns or thistles, which he despises. His favorite food is actually extract of malt, which Kanga would give Roo for his strengthening medicine.

6. Is there more than one Tigger? You might think so, considering the way he always refers to himself in the third person, and plural as well. But as he paradoxically sings in “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers”: …the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is I’m the only one!

7. That never stopped him from looking though. In the 2000 film The Tigger Movie , Tigger sets off on an adventure to find his family. Is he successful? You’ll have to see for yourself!

8. The Tigger Movie  was originally going to be a direct- to-video release, but upon hearing the score written by the Sherman Brothers, Michael Eisner decided to release the film in theaters. That turned out to be a wise move, as the film was a major box office success. The Tigger Movie  was the first time that the Sherman Brothers had worked on major motion picture for Disney in 29 years, their last full feature score being 1971’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks .

9. In The Tigger Movie , you can find a hidden tribute to author A. A. Milne. When Tigger is looking through the barrel, he tosses out a ship’s life ring. Look closely and you can spot the wording “HMS MILNE” on it.

10. Tigger’s favorite way to get around is by bouncing of course (you can try it out for yourself at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction!), but nothing beats his best move: the Whoopty-Dooper-Loopty-Looper- Alley-Ooper bounce. Try it if you dare, but be careful; it packs quite a wallop!

TimFoster is the editor of Celebrations Magazine and the author of the Guide to the Magic for Kids. He’s been enjoying the magic of Disney since his first visit to the Magic Kingdom in 1971.