Virginia O'Hanlon

Virginia O'Hanlon once lived at 115 West 95th Street. In 1897, when she was eight years old, she wrote to The New York Sun asking, "Is there a Santa Claus?" Editor Francis Pharcellus Church answered with what became the most famous newspaper editorial in American history, published in the Sun on September 21, 1897. His response reached beyond her question to affirm a sustaining faith in life, declaring, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy." Laura Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas later became an educator and a strong supporter of children's rights, and in 1961 she reaffirmed her belief in the spirit of Santa Claus as a symbol of love, sharing, the joy of giving, and its extension to all people.

New York, New York · United States