Margaret Mitchell was a journalist and author who was a native of America. She is best known as the author of the bestselling 1936 novel ‘Gone With the Wind’. It was the only novel written by Mitchell to be published during her lifetime. In 1939 the novel was adapted into a film of the same name. The film won ten Academy Awards

Margaret Munnerlyn Mitchell was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1900. She was of Irish and Scottish ancestry. Following her education she began working as a journalist with the Atlanta Journal Sunday magazine in 1922. Having suffered an ankle injury in 1926 she quit her job at the magazine. She began writing ‘Gone With the Wind’ whilst recovering from her injury.

‘Gone With the Wind’ made Mitchell an instant celebrity. She was awarded the National Book Award in 1936 and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction on May 3^rd 1937. The award winning film based on the novel was released in 1939. ‘Gone With the Wind’ has been translated into 27 languages and more than 30 million copies have been sold worldwide.

Margaret Mitchell who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel ‘Gone With the Wind’ was born in the year 1900 On This Day.

Margaret Mitchell

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Oscar Wilde was a playwright, novelist, and poet who was a native of Dublin, Ireland. As a writer he is best known for his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray and his play The Importance of Being Earnest. Apart from his writing, his wit and lifestyle made Wilde one of the best known personalities of his time.

Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born at 21 Westland Row, Dublin on October 16, 1854. He was educated at Portora Royal School at Enniskillen and at Trinity College Dublin. Following graduation from Trinity, Wilde was awarded a scholarship for further study at Magdalen College in Oxford.

Having completed his studies at Oxford in 1878, Wilde moved to London where he began writing poetry. In 1882 he travelled to North America where he spent almost a year on a lecture tour. He spent the following year on the lecture circuit in Ireland and England before taking up a post as editor of a woman’s magazine.

During his time as editor Wilde began writing what would be his most famous works. By 1890 he was one of the most successful playwrights of his time. In February 1895 the Marquis of Queensbury accused Wilde of being a sodomite. Wilde sued him for slander but lost. In the trial which followed Wilde was found guilty of gross indecency and sentenced in May 1895 to two years of imprisonment. On being released he moved to France.

Oscar Wilde died in Paris at the age of 46 in the year 1900 On This Day.

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OSCAR WILDE – MERRION SQUARE by infomatique on 2004-09-15 16:27:49

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THE TRIALS OF OSCAR WILDE by summonedbyfells on 2014-06-11 10:46:39

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Oscar Wilde’s grave, Paris by dblackadder on 2005-03-31 07:42:48