Hans Christian Andersen was a Danish author and poet noted for his children’s stories born in the town of Odense, Denmark, on Tuesday, April 2, 1805.

During his lifetime he was acclaimed for having delighted children worldwide, and was feted by royalty. His poetry and stories have been translated into more than 150 languages. They have inspired motion pictures, plays, ballets, and animated films.

In honor of the man’s 205th birthday, Google is honoring him with a special doodle featuring Thumbelina.

Thumbelina is a literary fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a thumb-sized girl and her many adventures before falling in love with a flower-fairy prince just her size.

“Thumbelina” is essentially Andersen’s invention but takes inspiration from the traditional tale of “Tom Thumb” (both tales begin with a childless woman consulting a supernatural being about acquiring a child). Other inspirations were the six-inch Lilliputians in Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, Voltaire‘s short story, “Micromégas” with its cast of huge and miniature peoples, and E. T. A. Hoffmann’s hallucinatory, erotic tale “Meister Floh” in which a tiny lady a span in height torments the hero.

Happy birthday Hans Christian Andersen!

Source: Wikipedia

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Tags: doodle, google, hans christian andersen, thumbelina