MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - On this day, Dec. 9, 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” aired for the first time.

It is the first animated adaption of the “Peanuts” newspaper cartoon by Charles Schulz.

When the 30-minute special first aired, over 15 million households tuned in to watch it.

What has become a holiday classic had unconventional beginnings.

At the time, adults often voiced characters of children. But in the case of Charlie Brown’s Christmas, the voices of characters including Charlie Brown, Lucy and the whole gang were voiced by kids.

The special would go on to win an Emmy and a Peabody award in 1966. It was also inducted in to the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 2021.

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