Alan Alexander Milne, affectionately known as A.A. Milne, was an illustrious English writer, celebrated for creating the beloved teddy bear character, Winnie-the-Pooh, and a treasury of children's poetry. Before the monumental success of Winnie-the-Pooh, Milne was primarily recognized as a playwright. His literary journey was significantly marked by his service in both World Wars; he served as a lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment during the First World War and as a captain in the Home Guard during the Second World War.

Milne's inspiration for the whimsical world of Winnie-the-Pooh sprang from his son, Christopher Robin Milne, who formed a bond with a tame bear named Winnipeg at the London Zoo. The character Christopher Robin is based on his son. The original manuscripts of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories were bequeathed by Milne to the Wren Library at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was an alumnus.

Born in Kilburn, London, Milne's early education was at Henley House School, a small public school run by his father. Among his teachers was H.G. Wells. He later attended Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied on a mathematics scholarship and contributed to Granta, a student magazine. Milne collaborated with his brother, Kenneth, and their works were published under the initials AKM. This early period set the stage for Milne's subsequent success as a beloved children's author.