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Fluthyou's avatar

Who wrote "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today's a gift. That's why they call it the present."?

Asked by Fluthyou (680points) February 7th, 2011

It was in the movie Kung Fu Panda and is also quoted as being said by several other people (Joan Rivers, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Babatunde Olatunji), but I have no idea who actually said it…

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9 Answers

troubleinharlem's avatar

I believe it was Eleanor Roosevelt.

incendiary_dan's avatar

I thought it was just one of those things people have been saying long enough that we forgot who said it, perhaps because it wasn’t recorded.

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blueiiznh's avatar

definately Eleanor Roosevelt
thinkexist
quotes page

Smashley's avatar

@Spreader – Well I’m not sure how that quotation relates, and I’m more than a little skeptical that something from Christian sacred texts would have been the root of a english-language pun. Oh wait, you just meant the OP’s phrase was “like” yours… don’t really see it… but OK.

Yeah, I agree with those who say it’s pretty much attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, but I remind everyone that quotes like this (especially on the internet), tend to be greatly miss-attributed. Perhaps she was the first person to use this specific phrase, but you can bet she lifted the notion of “present=gift” from someone much earlier. These ideas float around in a language for a while before someone puts them plainly enough to be credited with “writing” them. Good on her anyway, it’s a nice notion.

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