One of the funniest, most entertaining personalities on tv of all time, in my opinion, would have to be the one and only Julia Child. I can remember her from my childhood because my mom would often watch her cooking show pretty regularly. I do not, however, recall my mom making many of Julia’s French dishes so I suspect it was more for the entertainment factor :) She had such a funny, vibrant personality that was so infectious. Anytime I need a pick-me-up I like to get on Pinterest and look up funny Julia Child quotes and it is sure to bring a smile to my face.

Julia’s birthday is coming up on August 15, so in honor of the fabulous Julia, I wanted to share 12 fun facts about Julia Child you might not know.

1. Her childhood nicknames were Juke, Juju and Jukies.

1. She was 6’2” and wore a size 12 shoe. She played college basketball for Smith College. Since she was much taller than her teammates, her school decided to change a rule of the game. No more “jump ball.” In her authorized biography, “Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child,” she admitted that she was “not good at the rest of the game.”

2. When she found out that she was too tall to join the military, Julia volunteered her services to the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), where she helped develop shark repellent used on underwater explosives during WWII.

3. Julia’s husband Paul, whom she met while working with the OSS, took her to La Couronne restaurant that started her love affair with French food when they moved to Paris for his work.

5. When Julia and Paul moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, from Paris, they designed their home kitchen around Julia’s requirements as a cook, installing taller-than-average counter-tops to suit her stature.

5. While filming the Baking With Julia series, she used a whopping 753 pounds of butter.

5. Julia has a rose named after her that she chose herself. It is of course butter-colored.

5. In 2003, Julia was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States’ highest civilian honor, by President George W. Bush.

5. She was the first educational television personality to receive an Emmy. She was nominated for 8 Emmys and won 3 of them.

5. She donated her Cambridge home to Smith College and her kitchen to the Smithsonian Institution.

5. She was a breast cancer survivor.

5. Julia passed away 2 days before her 92nd birthday. Her last meal was homemade French onion soup.

Happy birthday, Julia! You are missed!