Today in the history of the American comic strip: January 23

American cartoonists and writers may not have invented the comic strip, but some argue that the comics, as we know them today, are an American creation. Clearly, the United States has played an outsize role in the development of this underappreciated art form.

1.23.1884: George McManus, best known for creating Bringing Up Father, is born in St. Louis, Missouri. The strip ran from 1913 until 2000.
 
1.23.1898: The Yellow Kid makes his last regular appearance in a newspaper strip, although he will later make sporadic appearances in print.

Bringing Up Father

Most of the information listed here from one day to the next comes from two online sites -- Wikipedia, and Don Markstein's Toonopedia -- as well as 100 Years of American Newspaper Comics, edited by Maurice Horn. Note that my focus is on American newspaper comic strips (and the occasional foreign strip that gained popularity in the United States). Thus, comic books and exclusively online comics are not included here.