Literature

Richard Nathaniel Wright was born on September 4, 1908, near Roxie, Mississippi. His book, Native Son, was the first best selling novel by a black writer.

Missionary Frank Charles Laubach was born on September 2, 1884, in Benton, Pennsylvania.  He dedicated his life to teaching people around the world to read, visiting more than 100 countries and developing books for 312 different languages.

Poet and writer Dorothy Parker (born Dorothy Rothschild) was born on August 22, 1893, in Long Branch, New Jersey.  A founding member of the Algonquin Round Table, she was known for her sharp wit.

Poet Paul Laurence Dunbar was born on June 27, 1872, in Dayton, Ohio.  He was one of the most prolific African American writers his time, despite having his life cut short by illness.

James Weldon Johnson was born on June 17, 1871, in Jacksonville, Florida.  A poet, songwriter, diplomat, and activist, he was the first African American executive secretary of the NAACP.

On May 28, 1843, author and lexicographer Noah Webster died in New Haven, Connecticut.  Webster developed several important textbooks as well as the dictionary that standardized the American spelling of many words.  

On May 26, 1897, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was first published in London, England. It went on to become one of the most famous pieces of English literature and has been adapted for film more than 30 times.

Author Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803, in Boston, Massachusetts.  A leader of the Transcendentalist movement, he promoted individualism and was a major influence on generations of thinkers, writers, and poets.

American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne died on May 19, 1864, while on a trip with former president Franklin Pierce to the White Mountains in New Hampshire.