Charles M. Schulz was an American cartoonist best known for creating the comic strip "Peanuts", featuring characters like Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Schulz wrote and drew the popular strip for 50 years until his death in 2000, producing over 18,000 strips. "Peanuts" was syndicated in over 2,600 newspapers and had an estimated 355 million readers worldwide at its peak. Schulz received numerous awards for his work, including the Congressional Gold Medal. The strip and its characters also inspired various TV specials, movies, and merchandise.