1. Koko, the Stanford-educated gorilla who could speak about 1000 words in American Sign Language, was an avid Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fan. As Esquire reported, when Fred Rogers took a trip out to meet Koko for his show, not only did she immediately wrap her arms around him and embrace him, she did what she’d always seen him do onscreen: she proceeded to take his shoes off!
2. According to a TV Guide piece, Fred Rogers drove a plain old Impala for years. One day, the car was stolen from the street near the TV station. Within 48 hours the car was left in the exact spot where it was taken from, with an apology on the dashboard reading; “If we’d known it was yours, we never would have taken it.”
3. His daily routine included waking up at 5, praying for a few hours for all of his friends and family, studying, writing, making calls and reaching out to every fan who took the time to write him, going for a morning swim, getting on a scale, then really starting his day.
4. He was likely the most tolerant American ever. Mr, Rogers seems to have been almost exactly the same off-screen as he was onscreen. As an ordained Presbyterian minister, and a man of tremendous faith, Rogers preached tolerance first. Whenever he was asked to castigate non-Christians or gays for their differing beliefs, he would instead face them and say, with sincerity, “God loves you just the way you are.” Often this provoked ire from fundamentalists.
5. He was Color-blind both literally (He couldn’t see the color blue) and figuratively (as were his parents who took in a black foster child when Rogers was growing up).
6. Once while rushing to a New York meeting, and finding no available cabs, Rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway. Esquire reported that the car was filled with people, who all simultaneously burst into song, chanting “It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.” The result made Rogers smile wide.
7. He was an Ivy League Dropout. Rogers moved from Dartmouth to Rollins College to pursue his studies in music.
8. He composed all the songs on the show, and over 200 tunes.
9. He was a perfectionist, and disliked ad libbing. He felt he owed it to children to make sure every word on his show was thought out.
10. Michael Keaton got his start on the show as an assistant– helping puppeteer and operate the trolley.
11. Several characters on the show are named for his family. Queen Sara is named after Rogers’ wife, and the postman Mr. McFeely is named for his maternal grandfather who always talked to him like an adult, and reminded young Fred that he made every day special just by being himself (which is the same way Mister Rogers closed every show).
12. Every one of the cardigan sweaters he wore on the show had been hand-knit by his mother.
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