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

8.23.1905: Ernie Bushmiller, the creator of Nancy, is born in New York City. He was named 1976 Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year by the National Cartoonists Society, which had previously honored him with a Newspaper Comic Strip award in 1961.

8.23.1959: Sally Brown, Charlie Brown’s younger sister, makes her first appearance in Charles Schulz’s Peanuts.

Nancy

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.