Today in the history of the American comic strip: August 14

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.

8.14.1923: Felix the Cat, drawn by Otto Messmer, debuts as a newspaper strip, in a Sunday format.

8.14.1932: Frederick Burr Opper’s Happy Hooligan ends its run after almost 32 years in print.

8.14.1950: Gary Larson, creator of The Far Side (1980-1995), is born in Tacoma, Washington. He was named 1990 and 1994 Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society.

8.14.1977: Frank Robbins’ Johnny Hazard, in circulation since 1944, abandons its Sunday strip, leaving only the daily installment.
 

The Far Side

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.