Mister Rogers Facts Proving He Was a National Treasure
Do you long for a time when we were all a bit more neighborly? Thanks to Reddit we've collected a list of crazy facts about Mister Rogers, the father figure to entire generations.
1.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood theme song is played upon a unique instrument called the Celesta. -u/fabulousfred
2.
A mother whose daughter was having brain surgery, called the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood studio to ask for a signed photo. After hearing about this, Mr Rogers flew to the hospital to see her. His only request was that there was no press. -u/AmericanHead
3.
Mr. Rogers loved to fart in public to amuse his wife when they attended boring parties or gatherings. According to Joanne Rogers, "He would just raise one cheek and he would look at me and smile." She also said Rogers enjoyed listening to her tell dirty jokes. -u/szekeres81
4.
A study from Yale found that kids who watched 'Mr. Rogers Neighborhood' retained more information than children who watched 'Sesame Street.' They also had a higher 'tolerance of delay', meaning they were more patient. -u/szekeres81
5.
"Freddish" was Mr. Rogers' carefully crafted set of rules for talking to children, designed to keep kids from taking things too literally or becoming unnecessarily scared. -u/DoctorProfessorTaco
6.
Tom Hanks, who played Mr. Rogers in “A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood”, is Mr. Rogers’ sixth cousin. -u/hotdog_dachshund
7.
Once Mr. Rogers opened the door of his closet on set to hang up his jacket, only to find a blow-up sex doll. Michael Keaton — then a young stagehand — had put it in there. -u/TapiocaTuesday
8.
When Mr. Rogers heard his limo driver was going to be waiting outside while Rogers was in a meeting, he asked the driver to come in. On the way back they passed the driver's home and Rogers asked if they could stop and meet his family. Rogers kept in touch with the driver for the rest of his life. -u/szekeres81
9.
Mr. Rogers responded to every fan letter he received. He would wake up at 5 every morning, pray, and begin answering letters as part of his daily routine. Many children wrote to him about their personal issues, such as family members dying. He received between 50 and 100 letters every day. -u/derstherower
10.
Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers Neighborhood) gave George Romero (Director of Dawn of the Dead) his first paying gig directing shorts for the children’s show. Romero then went on to create some of the most iconic zombie films of all time. -u/MTPokitz
11.
Every sweater Mr. Rogers wore on his show had been hand knitted by his mother, Nancy Rogers. She made him a new one every Christmas. She died in 1981. When they started wearing thin in the 1990s, replacements were found, but the source has been forgotten. -u/Tokyono
12.
Mr. Rogers told the U.S. Supreme Court during the attempt to ban VCRs that he sided with the VCR, as it helped families to watch his show together. Supreme Court said his testimony was a contributing factor which allowed VCRs. -u/mreastvillage
13.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood featured an episode with Lou Ferrigno on the set of "The Incredible Hulk" to teach children not to be scared of fictional characters in heavy makeup. -u/Ezra611
14.
When Big Bird appeared on Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, Mr. Rogers wanted to do a segment where Caroll Spinney would remove his Big Bird costume, demonstrate how the puppet worked, and talk about what it's like to play Big Bird. Spinney refused to do it, not wanting to ruin the illusion for kids. -u/originalchaosinabox
16.
Mr. Rogers would announce what he was doing because a blind girl asked him to do so in a letter. -u/boxboy97
17.
There’s an official day of kindness in Pennsylvania that honors Mr. Rogers’ favorite number, 143, which stands for the letters in “I love you.“ -deleted user
18.
Mr. Rogers had a deep friendship with Koko, a gorilla who knew over 1000 words in sign language. He even had her on his series titled "You and I Together", dedicated to helping children get over their fears of meeting new people or being in different situations. -u/Brenaldo17
19.
Mr. Rogers enjoyed George Romero's films even calling Dawn of the Dead "a lot of fun." Romero even wanted to cast some actors from Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood but Rogers wouldn't let him. -deleted user
21.
During a hiatus from filming "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" Fred Rogers created a TV series for adults that sought to highlight the difference that individuals can make in the lives of others. -u/Campbellsbiology
22.
In 1996, Mr. Rogers poured the 100 billionth Crayola crayon. The commemorative replica that Mr. Rogers received at the event is housed in the Fred Rogers Archive. -u/i_love_pencils
23.
Mr. Rogers produced only one "holiday special" during his career, featuring Christmas and Hanukkah songs, but also welcoming "children who celebrate neither." He called the holiday season Slopperydozafanoondapuck, meaning "what a difference one person can make." -u/Doodlebug510
24.
"Fundamentalist preachers" asked Fred Rogers to denounce homosexuality. In response, Mr. Rogers would pat the target on the shoulder and say, “God loves you just as you are.” -u/adeebchowdhury
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