Who wrote and illustrated the "Peanuts" comic strip?

Charles Monroe Schulz, well-known by his nickname Sparky, was a cartoonist, who created the comic strip Peanuts. Everybody knows the main stars of the Peanuts - nervous but amiable Charlie Brown and loyal and hilarious Snoopy.

Schulz is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists of all time, cited as a major influence by many later cartoonists. The Peanuts is considered an iconic comic strip and a great example for a lot of cartoonists who created their comics after Schulz. Its unrepeatable humor and laconic design made the Peanuts a true breakthrough in the comics industry of the 20th century.