11 Fascinating Facts About Julia Child

By Cait |

Julia Child on the set of "The French Chef" in 1970 (Tribune File photo, Alone, Chef 90th Birthday Anniversary, Television, Show, Cooking Program)

Today, we’re celebrating the anniversary of Julia Child‘s birthday. Julia brought French cuisine to American households with the debut of her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her hallmark public television programs. With her unmistakable shrill but warm voice, she welcomed us into her kitchen. She taught us recipes that looked really hard to make with enthusiasm and engaging conversation. She made cooking French food both fun and approachable. She understood that mistakes were part of the process (including dropping the lamb!) , and wanted her pupils – millions of home cooks – to improve from their kitchen nightmares. She was fearless, passionate and eager to teach, which made her the ultimate role model inside and outside of the kitchen. In honor of her birthday, here are 12 facts about one of our country’s first cooking icons and public television superstar, Julia Child. Bon Appetit!

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

A young Julia Child pictured with her brother John and Grandmother McWilliams.

A young Julia Child pictured with her brother John and Grandmother McWilliams. Photo credit: The Julia Child Foundation of Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts

2. Julia Child was a basketball player.

At 6 feet, 2 inches, Julia was hoping she’d stand out on the court while playing for Smith College’s Basketball Team. 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.”

Julia McWilliams, from the1934 Smith College Yearbook.

Julia McWilliams, 1934 yearbook Photo credit: Smith College

3.  She was also a spy.

After being fired from her job as an advertising manager at a furniture store, Julia applied for a position with the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), the predecessor of the Central Intelligence Agency. First, she was hired to do typing and research. However, she quickly rose the ranks and was promoted to work under OSS Director William Donovan. Later, while working for the Emergency Sea Rescue Equipment Section, she helped develop shark repellent. During her last two years, she served as Chief of the OSS Registry in Ceylon, present day Sri Lanka, and Kunming, China, where she handled highly top secret papers about the invasion of the Malay Peninsula.

Julia McWilliams, who later became Julia Child, in her OSS quarters in Ceylon in 1944

Julia in her OSS quarters in Ceylon in 1944. Photo credit: The Colombus Dispatch

4. Julia Child became interested in food while living in China.

Growing up, most of Julia’s meals came from her family’s freezers or from a can. While working in China, she found the American food  “terrible” and the Chinese food “wonderful” and tried to eat the local cuisine often. She said it was then that she became interested in food.

Ingredients used for dishes in Yunnan cuisine, the Chinese cuisine Julia Child enjoyed while living in China.

Ingredients used for dishes in Yunnan cuisine, the regional cuisine Julia Child enjoyed while living in Kunming, China. Photo credit: Wikipedia

5. She was a late bloomer for her time.

Julia didn’t marry her husband Paul until she was 34 years old and she didn’t discover her passion for French cuisine until she was 36 years old. They met while both working for the OSS. Paul was an artist, a poet and a “foodie.” He took her to the oldest restaurant in France, La Couronne restaurant. The experience sparked her lifelong love affair with French food.

Julia and Paul Child on their wedding day, September 3, 1946.

Julia and Paul Child on their wedding day, September 3, 1946. Photo credit: The Julia Child Foundation of Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts

6. Her first television appearance was on her local public television station, WGBH, on a show called I’ve Been Reading

Twenty-seven viewers wrote to the station requesting to see more of Julia. WGBH agreed. By the end of 1965, her show, The French Chef, was carried by 96 PBS stations. The French Chef ran from February 11, 1963 to 1973, and it was one of America’s first cooking shows.

Julia Child on the set of "The French Chef" in 1970 (Tribune File photo, Alone, Chef 90th Birthday Anniversary, Television, Show, Cooking Program)

Julia Child on the set of The French Chef in 1970 Photo credit: Tribune File photo, Alone, Chef 90th Birthday Anniversary, Television, Show, Cooking Program

Video: Julia Child and the chicken sisters from The French Chef!

7. She was the first woman inducted into the Culinary Institute of America’s Hall of Fame in 1993.

The only other public television hall of famer is Lidia Bastianich of Lidia’s Italy in America.She joined her public television colleague 10 years later in 2013.

Culinary Hall of Fame

Julia Child at the Culinary Hall of Fame. Photo Source: The Julia Child Foundation of Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts.

8. While filming the Baking with Julia series, she used 753 pounds of butter.

According to Julia, “With enough butter, anything is good.”

Julia Child Bakes

Julia Child mixing batter. Photo source: Preston Hollow People

9. She was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award that recognizes a diverse group of Americans from athletes to celebrity chefs.

On July 23, 2003, President George W. Bush presented Julia Child with the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom for teaching Americans how to cook and enriching American culture. In his remarks, he joked that Julia already held the highest distinction of the French Government because she had received The Legion of Honour for promoting American appreciation and the techniques of French Cooking.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Presidential Medal of Freedom. Photo credit: Wikipedia

10. She credited her long life to “red meat and gin.”

She died two days before her 92nd birthday. Her last meal was homemade French onion soup.

steak and gin

11. Julia had many “Julia-isms” but one of our favorites is: “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you’ve got to have a what-the-hell attitude.”

Julia Child with Fish

Julia Child with a giant fish. Photo source: Alex Trenoweth

Do you have a special Julia Child memory?