Today in the history of the American comic strip: July 28

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.

7.28.1945: Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield, is born in Marion, Indiana. He was named 1989 Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society. The same society also honored him with Newspaper Comic Strip awards in 1981 and 1985.

7.28.1996: Martin Branner's Winnie Winkle ends its 76-year run. The strip came to be seen as heralding a more independent role for American women after World War I.

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.