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Roald Dahl Day: The author's most enduring characters remembered

As well as paying tribute to his beloved children's stories, the annual event is paying particular homage to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Sunday 14 September 2014 09:38 BST

Roald Dahl, author of 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory', pictured in 1971 (Getty Images)

Roal Dahl Day is being celebrated around the world on Saturday - when the famous children's author would have turned 98.

As well as paying tribute to his beloved children's stories, the annual event is paying particular homage to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to mark 50 years since the book was released.

An Oompa Loompa skydive is taking place in Peterboroguh, with fundraisers dressing up and jumping out of planes to raise money for children's charities.

Roald Dahl Day organisers are hoping to raise £50,000 to fund a specialist children's nurse for a year.

The writer taught a generation how to fight back against the monstrous world of the grown-ups with marvellous medicine, magic fingers and a healthy dose of naughtiness.

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

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1/12In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

Willy Wonka from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'

Willy Wonka (pictured being played by Gene Wilder in 1967) is a bizarre and slightly unsettling man but who can say no to that delicious chocolate?

Getty

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

The Oompa Loompas from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'

Despite the characters' questionable evolution from being African pygmies in early editions of the novel, the Oompa Loompas were so fantastical they captured the imagination of generations. The first film's version of the characters are still a popular fancy dress theme.

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

Veruca Salt from 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'

The girl who "wants it now" is so incredibly vile she ended up in the rubbish after being judged a bad nut by Willy Wonka's squirrels. An American alternative rock band even took her name.

YouTube

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

The Twits from 'The Twits'

Mr and Mrs Twit are horrible, hideous and hateful, coating trees with glue to catch birds to at. But the Roly-Poly Bird and Muggle-Wumps teach them a lesson in the end.

Quentin Blake/House of Illustration

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

James from 'James and the Giant Peach'

James is beaten and starved by his cruel aunts after his parents are eaten by an escaped rhino but eventually gets to go on an adventure with the friends he has always waited for on his magic peach, ending up on the top of the Empire State Building.

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

Matilda from 'Matilda'

Every little girl who read 'Matilda' wondered what it would be like to be the main character. Apart from th abusive family, the telekinesis must be endless fun.

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

Miss Trunchbull from 'Matilda'

Miss Trunchbull, played by Pam Ferris in the 1996 film, is the aunt and headmistress of every child's worst nightmares. Just think of poor Bruce Bogtrotter and that cake.

YouTube

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

The Big Friendly Giant from 'The BFG'

A 24-foot-tall BFG works giving out good dreams to children and saves them all from people-eating giants. Shame about the snozzcumbers.

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

The Grand High Witch from 'The Witches'

The Grand High Witch, seen here in the film, must be one of Dahl's most terrifying creations. Turning children into slugs and squishing them, she wanted to destroy them all, she had no hair or toes and claws for hands.

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

Mr Fox from 'Fantastic Mr Fox'

Mr Fox outsmarts those silly farmers, feeding his family by killing their chickens and avoiding starvation.

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

George from 'George's Marvellous Medicine'

Some people would say that swapping your gran's medicine with poison isn't ok but that isn't the point here.

YouTube

In pictures: Roald Dahl's most enduring characters

Grandma from 'George's Marvellous Medicine'

Grandma was quite a character until she vanished: 'She was selfish grumpy old woman. She had pale brown teeth and a small pucker-up mouth like a dog's bottom.'

YouTube

His books are still among the most read by children and are enjoying a new wave of success with the hit Matilda musical adaptation and successive film adaptations of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Born in Wales, Dahl worked for Shell oil and joined the RAF in the Second World War before being paid for his first writing in 1942.

As well as his famous children's fiction, he wrote the film script for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the screenplay for James Bond film You Only Live Twice as well as hosting several television shows.

He died in 1990 aged 74 in Oxford after becoming ill with a blood disease. The Roald Dahl Museum in his home village of Great Missenden and the Roald Dahl Children's Gallery in Aylesbury have since been opened in his honour.

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