Born July 28, 1866, Beatrix Potter spent a solitary childhood with long holidays in the country. She loved to sketch animals and later invented stories about them. In 1902, Potter published The Tale of Peter Rabbit, which launched her career as a children’s author. More than 20 other books for young audiences soon followed. Potter’s tales of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Benjamin Bunny and others have become children’s classics. She died in 1943.