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112th Birthday Of Dr. Seuss Celebrated On 'Read Across America' Day

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — If we didn't have birthdays, we wouldn't have Dr. Seuss.

Children, elected officials and a slate of actors and actress will celebrate the 112th birthday of Ted "Dr. Seuss" Geisel Wednesday, which is also being marked across the nation as Read Across America Day.

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian and LAUSD board member Scott Schmerelson will take part in a Read Across America event at Rio Vista Elementary School in North Hollywood, while a Read Across America ceremony will be held at the Battleship Iowa in San Pedro, kicking off a month-long book drive.

Hollywood is getting in on the fun, too, at Lindbergh Elementary School in Lynwood. "Big Bang Theory's" Aarti Mann, "How I Met Your Mother's" Marieve Herington and "The Lego Movie's" Jadon Sand will be among the actors and actresses reading to children at the school.

Geisel was born March 2, 1904, in Springfield, Massachusetts, and first used the pen name Dr. Seuss on a cartoon in the Saturday Evening Post in 1927.

His first book, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," was published 10 years later -- after 27 rejections. He penned classics like "Green Eggs and Ham" and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" that became staples for young readers.

He died in 1991.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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