Believe it or not, he’s 80 years old.

80 years ago today, Bugs Bunny made his official screen debut in a Tex Avery short entitled “A Wild Hare.”

He was first named ‘Happy Rabbit’ before being renamed Bugs Bunny after his original writer, Ben ‘Bugs’ Hardaway.  His personality and mannerisms were inspired over the years by the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Groucho Marx and Clark Gable.

Mel Blanc, voiced Bugs for nearly 50 years

The Bugs Bunny comic strip ran for almost 50 years from 1943 to 1990. The Bugs Bunny Show, which debuted in 1960, was a television staple for over 40 years.

Over the years Bugs appeared in over 175 theatrical shorts, more than any other animated character and was nominated for three Oscars.

Bugs Bunny at 80.