1.Mr. Rogers always announced out loud that he was feeding his fish because he received a letter from a girl who was blind who was worried that the fish were hungry.
2.His mom knitted every single sweater he wore on the show.
3.And he continuously wore the sweaters because they reminded him of her and made him realize that she loved him.
4.When he was younger, Rogers was so disappointed with children's TV that it inspired him to find "some way of using this fabulous medium to be of nurture to those who would watch and listen."
5.Mr. Rogers never threw away a single drawing or letter that a child sent to him.
6.And one of his assistants stated that "no child ever received a form letter from Mister Rogers," meaning he signed every single letter and oversaw the writing of them.
7.He never believed in talking down to children, which was why his show often featured serious subjects, including death...
8.And divorce...
9.And he wasn't afraid to use his program to make personal statements, as long as they promoted kindness and love.
10.Along with being a guest on the show, Koko the gorilla was an avid watcher of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. She even got upset after hearing of his death.
11.And upon meeting Mr. Rogers, Koko signed the words "love you visit... Koko love" to him.
12.Mr. Rogers was fascinated by the number 143, saying it stood for "I love you."
13.Mr. Rogers graduated from college with a degree in Music Composition and even composed the theme music for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
14.He also helped write the lyrics for some of the most famous songs that were sung on the show.
15.Mr. Rogers liked to name some of the characters in his show after important people in his life. The mailman, Fred McFeely, was named after his grandfather.
16.Before becoming famous, Michael Keaton was a crew member on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. He even said that Fred Rogers was "one of the nicest, authentically-good people you've ever met."
17.And in 2002, one year before his death, Fred Rogers received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for "a career that demonstrates the importance of kindness, compassion, and learning."
