He was an American cartoonist, entertainer, and entrepreneur who traveled the world collecting oddities and strange facts. He began publishing his "Believe It Or Not!" cartoons in newspapers in the 1920s, which became immensely popular.
While Ripley himself started the franchise, he unfortunately passed away in 1949. Since then, the "Believe It Or Not!" brand has continued with various authors and contributors, but it was founded by Robert Ripley.