Everybody loves the TV painter with permed hair and a friendly voice. But would you believe that Bob Ross had a military career that lasted over two decades and made him the person he was?
Over a span of twenty years, Bob rose across to ranks until he reached the rank of Master Sergeant. He also served as the first sergeant of the clinic at Eielson Air Force Base.
Now we know how his time in the Air Force led Bob to be the friendly and calm person we experienced on television.
Bob enjoyed painting landscape scenes inspired by the Alaskan wilderness during his lunch breaks. To paint more paintings that he could then sell on base, he refined his technique to paint a full picture in just a few minutes.
Once Bob noticed that he could earn more money selling his paintings than with his job in the military he decided to return back to civilian life.
Bob Ross continued to paint on television until he died in 1995. He is survived by his son Steve and still remains a pop-cultural icon until this day.