Verb Patterns Born in 1893 in California, Robert Ripley was a self-taught artist, who managed TO SELL his first drawing when he was 14. a natural athlete, he longed TO HAVE a career in baseball, but failed ACHIEVING this after breaking his arm in his first professional game. Without allowing this TO INTERFERE with his other plans, he began WORKING as a professional cartoonist and in 1918 he started DRAWING cartoons featuring odd facts. Their success encouraged him TO PURSUE his interest in oddities. Ripley loved TO COLLECT but avoided ACQUIRING anything normal; he went on FILLING his houses with odd artefacts. He was an unusual person who dared TO WEAR bright colours.; he collected cars, but never learned TO DRIVE. he never minded USING recording equipment for radio broadcasts, but avoided TO COMMUNICATE by telephone in case he risked BEING electrocuted. He detested SWIMMING, but he owned many boats. In 1933, he opened his first Odditorium intending TO DISPLAY his strange artefacts. He rever regretted DOING this, as it was s osuccessful; these are now over 27 museums in ten countries, and tourists are encouraged TO MAKE a holyday highlight.