Literature

Author Robert Penn Warren was born on April 24, 1905, in Guthrie, Kentucky. The winner of multiple Pulitzer Prizes, he was the first US Poet Laureate.

Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri.  Poet, actor, author, teacher, and activist, Angelou became an influential voice of the 20th century.  

Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams III was born on March 26, 1911, in Columbus, Mississippi. One of the most successful playwrights of the 20th century, several of his works were adapted into films.

Mary Flannery O’Connor was born on March 25, 1925, in Savannah, Georgia.  In a career cut short by disease, she produced two novels and more than 30 short stories that have led some to consider her one of the greatest short story writers of the 20th century.

Illustrator and author Howard Pyle was born on March 5, 1853, in Wilmington, Delaware. Illustrating many of his own books, he’s often credited with creating the modern depiction of flamboyantly dressed pirates.

Poet Julia de Burgos García was born on February 17, 1914, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. A poet, civil rights activist, and Puerto Rican nationalist, de Burgos defied convention before feminism was accepted in her culture. 

Horatio Alger Jr. was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts, on January 13, 1832. Alger was most well-known for his “rags to riches” stories that were especially popular with children.

Acclaimed writer Jack London was born on January 12, 1876, in San Francisco, California. Best known for his novel Call of the Wild, he became the highest paid, most-popular writer of his day.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sandburg was born on January 6, 1878, in Galesburg, Illinois. He wrote his own “American fairytales” as well as children’s books and biographies on Abraham Lincoln.