Famous Authors’ Birthdays: When Were the Greats Born?

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Literature has given us heroes, villains, monsters, and love stories that still resonate centuries later. But when exactly were the people behind these masterpieces born? Their birthdays are a chance not only to celebrate their work but also to revisit the books that shaped culture, philosophy, and imagination.

Below, you’ll find a guide to some of the most famous authors in history. Each entry answers the question “When was this author born?” while highlighting their most important works and fascinating details.

Famous Authors’ Birthdays: Quick Reference Table

When was Louisa May Alcott born?

Louisa May Alcott was born on November 29, 1832, in Pennsylvania, USA. Her novel Little Women has been beloved for generations, inspiring countless adaptations on stage and screen. Fun fact: Alcott worked as a nurse during the American Civil War and later wrote about her experiences.

When was Jane Austen born?

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, England. Austen’s sharp wit and keen social commentary made her one of the most beloved novelists of all time. Her works, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, dissected love, class, and society with elegance and humor. Fun fact: Austen published her early novels anonymously, with the title page only reading “By a Lady.”

When was Charles Baudelaire born?

Charles Baudelaire was born on April 9, 1821, in Paris, France. A revolutionary poet, Baudelaire shocked and fascinated the literary world with Les Fleurs du mal (The Flowers of Evil), a collection that explored beauty, decadence, and the darker sides of modern life. His influence can be seen in symbolism, modernism, and even rock lyrics today. Fun fact: Baudelaire was one of the first to champion Edgar Allan Poe in France, translating his works into French.

When was Charlotte Brontë born?

Charlotte Brontë was born on April 21, 1816, in Yorkshire, England. Her best-known novel, Jane Eyre, broke ground with its strong female heroine and themes of morality, independence, and love. Fun fact: Charlotte published her first works under the male pen name “Currer Bell.”

When was Emily Brontë born?

Emily Brontë was born on July 30, 1818, in Yorkshire, England. Her only novel, Wuthering Heights, is a Gothic masterpiece of passion, revenge, and wild moors. Though she died young, her work remains immortal. Fun fact: Emily was intensely private and rarely left home, preferring the windswept moors of Yorkshire.

When was Lord Byron born?

George Gordon, Lord Byron, was born on January 22, 1788, in London, England. Byron was a larger-than-life figure — dashing, scandalous, and wildly talented. His works include Don Juan and Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. He embodied the “Romantic hero” both in life and in verse. Fun fact: Byron kept a pet bear while studying at Cambridge (because dogs weren’t allowed in dorms).

When was Miguel de Cervantes born?

Cervantes was born on September 29, 1547, in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Often called the father of the modern novel, Cervantes wrote Don Quixote, a satirical yet deeply human tale of a deluded knight and his loyal squire. It remains one of the most widely read books in history. Fun fact: Cervantes and Shakespeare died in the same year (1616) — though not on the same day, as is sometimes mythically claimed.

When was Charles Dickens born?

Charles Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in Portsmouth, England. Dickens was the master storyteller of the Victorian era. His novels — Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol — shined a spotlight on poverty, injustice, and social inequality, often with unforgettable characters. Fun fact: Dickens was also a performer. He gave dramatic public readings of A Christmas Carol that reduced audiences to tears.

When was Emily Dickinson born?

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. One of America’s most original voices, Dickinson wrote nearly 1,800 poems, though only a handful were published in her lifetime. She lived much of her life in seclusion, sending her poems in letters to friends. Today, she’s considered a pioneer of modern poetry. Fun fact: Dickinson loved baking and would tuck poems into loaves of bread she gave away.

When was Fyodor Dostoevsky born?

Dostoevsky was born on November 11, 1821, in Moscow, Russia. His novels Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov delve into morality, free will, and the darkest corners of human psychology. Dostoevsky’s storytelling combines gripping crime drama with deep philosophy. Fun fact: He once narrowly escaped execution — he was spared at the last minute and sent to Siberian exile instead.

When was T.S. Eliot born?

Thomas Stearns Eliot was born on September 26, 1888, in St. Louis, Missouri. A modernist giant, Eliot wrote The Waste Land, Four Quartets, and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. His works combine myth, philosophy, and innovative language. Fun fact: Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats was later adapted into Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Cats.

When was F. Scott Fitzgerald born?

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896, in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. Fitzgerald captured the glamour and disillusionment of the Jazz Age in novels like The Great Gatsby and Tender Is the Night. His lyrical prose made him one of America’s greatest literary stylists. Fun fact: Fitzgerald’s wife Zelda was considered the original “flapper” — inspiring much of his fiction.

When was Ernest Hemingway born?

Ernest Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899, in Oak Park, Illinois, USA. A Nobel Prize–winning author, Hemingway is known for his spare, direct prose and adventurous life. His works include The Old Man and the Sea, A Farewell to Arms, and For Whom the Bell Tolls. Fun fact: Hemingway worked as an ambulance driver in World War I and was seriously wounded — an experience that shaped much of his writing on war and courage.

When was Victor Hugo born?

Victor Hugo was born on February 26, 1802, in Besançon, France. One of France’s greatest writers, Hugo gave us Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. His novels combine sweeping drama with political and social commentary. He was also a poet, playwright, and activist. Fun fact: Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral was in disrepair until Hugo’s novel sparked a movement to restore it.

When was James Joyce born?

James Joyce was born on February 2, 1882, in Dublin, Ireland. His novel Ulysses is considered one of the greatest — and most challenging — works of modernist literature. Joyce also wrote Dubliners and Finnegans Wake. Fun fact: Joyce set all of Ulysses in a single day: June 16, 1904, now celebrated annually as “Bloomsday” in Dublin.

When was Franz Kafka born?

Kafka was born on July 3, 1883, in Prague. His works, including The Metamorphosis and The Trial, are known for their surreal, unsettling depictions of alienation and bureaucracy. Fun fact: Kafka instructed his friend Max Brod to burn his manuscripts after his death. Luckily, Brod ignored him.

When was John Keats born?

John Keats was born on October 31, 1795, in London, England. One of the great Romantic poets, Keats wrote masterpieces like Ode to a Nightingale and To Autumn. His works celebrate beauty, mortality, and imagination. He died at just 25, leaving behind an astonishing legacy. Fun fact: His epitaph reads, “Here lies one whose name was writ in water.”

When was Herman Melville born?

Melville was born on August 1, 1819, in New York City, USA. His masterpiece Moby-Dick wasn’t appreciated during his lifetime but is now hailed as one of the greatest American novels. Melville also wrote Billy Budd and Typee. Fun fact: Melville once worked as a sailor and even lived among cannibals in the South Pacific — experiences that shaped his writing.

When was George Orwell born?

George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair) was born on June 25, 1903, in Bengal, India (then part of the British Empire). Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm are two of the most influential works of the 20th century, critiquing totalitarianism and political corruption. Fun fact: The term “Orwellian” is now used worldwide to describe oppressive governments.

When was Edgar Allan Poe born?

Edgar Allan Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Boston, Massachusetts. Known as the master of gothic horror and mystery, Poe gave us chilling stories like The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher, and poems like The Raven. He also pioneered detective fiction with The Murders in the Rue Morgue. Fun fact: Poe’s mysterious death in 1849 remains unsolved — he was found delirious in Baltimore, wearing someone else’s clothes.

When was William Shakespeare born?

Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. Often called the Bard of Avon, Shakespeare wasn’t just a playwright — he was also a poet, leaving us 154 sonnets full of love, jealousy, aging, and beauty. His birthday is often celebrated worldwide on “Shakespeare Day,” which also marks the day he died (spooky symmetry). Fun fact: His sonnets introduced more than a few phrases into everyday English, including “love is blind.”

When was Mary Shelley born?

Mary Shelley was born on August 30, 1797, in London, England. At just 18 years old, Shelley created Frankenstein, a novel that not only birthed science fiction but also explored themes of creation, responsibility, and humanity. Fun fact: She came up with the idea for Frankenstein during a rainy night storytelling contest with Percy Shelley and Lord Byron.

When was J.R.R. Tolkien born?

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892, in Bloemfontein, South Africa. The father of modern fantasy, Tolkien created richly imagined worlds in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. His detailed mythology, languages, and characters inspired generations of fantasy writers and filmmakers. Fun fact: Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia) were close friends and part of a literary group called “The Inklings.”

When was Leo Tolstoy born?

Leo Tolstoy was born on September 9, 1828, in Yasnaya Polyana, Russia. Tolstoy’s novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina are monumental works, exploring human psychology, history, and morality. He became a moral philosopher later in life, advocating for pacifism and spiritual renewal. Fun fact: Gandhi was influenced by Tolstoy’s writings on nonviolence.

When was Mark Twain born?

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) was born on November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, USA. Known as the “father of American literature,” Twain wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. His humor, satire, and sharp social observations made him world-famous. Fun fact: Twain was born shortly after Halley’s Comet appeared — and died the day after it returned in 1910.

When was Oscar Wilde born?

Wilde was born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin, Ireland. Famed for his wit and flamboyance, Wilde wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray and brilliant plays like The Importance of Being Earnest. Fun fact: Wilde’s one-liners were so good that some are still quoted as if they’re modern memes.

When was Virginia Woolf born?

Virginia Woolf was born on January 25, 1882, in London, England. A central figure in modernist literature, Woolf pioneered stream-of-consciousness writing in works like Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse. Fun fact: Woolf was also a pioneering feminist, writing the influential essay A Room of One’s Own.

Why Authors’ Birthdays Matter 📖 

Marking the birthdays of great authors is a chance to revisit their stories, their wisdom, and the cultural impact they left behind. Whether it’s Shakespeare’s timeless plays, Austen’s witty romances, or Orwell’s chilling warnings, these authors shaped how we think, speak, and even dream.

So next time December 16 rolls around, remember: it’s not just another winter’s day — it’s Jane Austen’s birthday, and the perfect excuse to pick up Pride and Prejudice again.