'Peanuts' Creator Charles M. Schulz Makes It Into California Hall of Fame

“Peanuts” creator Charles M. Schulz officially made it into the California Hall of Fame Wednesday night, joining seven other California notables in the ninth class to be inducted.

Best known for the iconic comic strip which is slated to become a state license plate when enough takers purchase the Snoopy-laden plate, Schulz lived and worked in California from 1958 til his passing in 2000.

To this day, the “Peanuts” comic strip holds a beloved place in the hearts of young and old alike, bridging generations and cultures with its timeless antics and heartfelt messages.

Schulz, who lived in Santa Rosa, CA most of his life (the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center opened in the city in 2002), was honored with the Spirit of California medal along with actor Robert Downey Jr., Olympics ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi, NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, martial arts star Bruce Lee, painter David Hockney, astronaut Ellen Ochoa and country music legend Buck Owens.

The official state ceremony was held at the California Museum in downtown Sacramento. Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. and First Lady Anne Gust Brown delivered the awards to recipients and their family members. Charles’ wife Jean Schulz accepted the honor on his behalf.

This year’s medal recipients join 88 Californians previously inducted into the California Hall of Fame for contributions to the worlds of art, science, literature, activism, technology, philanthropy, entertainment, business and sports.

Past inductees include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Joan Didion, Charles and Ray Eames, Ishi, Warner Bros., Father Gregory Boyle, the Beach Boys, Buzz Aldrin, Anne Lamott, James Cameron, Levi Strauss, Betty White, Serena Williams, Mark Zuckerberg, Rafer Johnson, Carol Burnett, George Lucas, Harvey Milk, Joan Kroc, Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel, Jane Fonda, Jack Lalanne, Julia Morgan, Quincy Jones, Dorothea Lange, Leland Stanford, Alice Waters, Ansel Adams, Willie Mays, Steve Jobs, Quincy Jones, Rita Moreno, Jackie Robinson, John Steinbeck, Elizabeth Taylor, John Wayne and Robert Mondavi.