Mr. Rogers Quotes: Wisdom From the Children's Television Host on His Birthday

Children's television legend Mr. Rogers would have celebrated his 90th birthday Tuesday. Fred Rogers began his career in children's television with the show The Children's Corner in 1954. The show debuted on public television in Pittsburgh where Rogers stared as a puppeteer, composer and co-producer on the show.

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood aired in 1968 and, 33 years later. that final episode aired on PBS. Rogers filmed more than 1,000 episodes of the show that aimed to educate children and give them a space to learn, grow and love.

Rogers died in 2003. A documentary about the entertainer titled Won't You Be My Neighbor?, after the theme music to his show, is set to premiere in theaters in June. A trailer for the film was released on his birthday Tuesday.

Seven quotes from Mr. Rogers:

"Discovering the truth about ourselves is a lifetime's work, but it's worth the effort."

"Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we're not alone."

"Love is at the root at everything, all learning, all relationships, love or the lack of it."

"There is no normal life that is free of pain. It's the very wrestling with our problems that can be the impetus for our growth."

"You rarely have time for everything you want in this life, so you need to make choices. And hopefully your choices can come from a deep sense of who you are."

"Love isn't a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now."

"If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet, how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person."

Uncommon Knowledge

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About the writer


Nina was a breaking news reporter. She previously worked at Business Insider, The Boston Globe, and Boston.com.

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