On this day
March 26 in literary history
Literary history for March 26: 20 writers born, 23 writers who died and 3 literary events from 903 to 2023. Born on this day: Martin McDonagh, Natsuhiko Kyogoku, Richard Coles.
Writers born on March 26
| Born | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Martin McDonagh | Irish playwright and filmmaker (born 1970) |
| 1963 | Natsuhiko Kyogoku | Japanese mystery writer |
| 1962 | Richard Coles | British musician, writer, presenter and priest (born 1962) |
| 1954 | Dorothy Porter | Australian poet |
| 1949 | Patrick Süskind | German writer and screenwriter (born 1949) |
| 1942 | Erica Jong | American novelist and poet (born 1942) |
| 1941 | Richard Dawkins | British evolutionary biologist and author (born 1941) |
| 1930 | Gregory Corso | American writer (1930–2001) |
| 1929 | Edward Sorel | American cartoonist (born 1929) |
| 1915 | Hwang Sun-won | South Korean writer (1915–2000) |
| 1913 | Jacqueline de Romilly | French philologist, classical scholar and writer (1913–2010) |
| 1911 | Tennessee Williams | American playwright (1911–1983) |
| 1907 | Mahadevi Varma | Indian writer and poet (1907–1987) |
| 1905 | Mona Williams (writer, born 1905) | American novelist (1905–1991) |
| 1904 | Joseph Campbell | American mythologist, writer, and lecturer (1904–1987) |
| 1874 | Robert Frost | American poet (1874–1963) |
| 1859 | A. E. Housman | English classicist and poet (1859–1936) |
| 1852 | Élémir Bourges | French novelist (1852–1925) |
| 1850 | Edward Bellamy | American author (1850–1898) |
| 1829 | Théodore Aubanel | Théodore Aubanel, French poet (died 1886) |
Writers who died on March 26
| Died | Writer | Known as |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | María Kodama | Argentine writer (1937–2023) |
| 2016 | Jim Harrison | American poet, novelist, and essayist (1937–2016) |
| 2015 | Tomas Tranströmer | Swedish poet and psychologist (1931–2015) |
| 2013 | Don Payne (writer) | American writer and film producer |
| 2012 | Manik Sitaram Godghate | Marathi poet |
| 2011 | Diana Wynne Jones | British writer (1934–2011) |
| 2008 | Robert Fagles | American professor, poet and academic (1933–2008) |
| 1980 | Roland Barthes | French philosopher and essayist (1915–1980) |
| 1979 | Jean Stafford | American author (1915–1979) |
| 1973 | Noël Coward | English playwright, composer, actor (1899–1973) |
| 1969 | John Kennedy Toole | American novelist (1937–1969) |
| 1966 | Cyril Hume | American screenwriter (1900–1966) |
| 1959 | Raymond Chandler | American novelist and screenwriter (1888–1959) |
| 1942 | Carolyn Wells | American writer (1862–1942) |
| 1892 | Walt Whitman | American poet, essayist and journalist (1819–1892) |
| 1772 | Charles Pinot Duclos | French author |
| 1726 | John Vanbrugh | English architect and dramatist (1664–1726) |
| 1679 | Johannes Schefferus | Johannes Schefferus, Swedish historian and author (born 1621) |
| 1625 | Giambattista Marino | Italian poet (1569–1625) |
| 1546 | Thomas Elyot | English politician and writer |
| 1132 | Geoffrey of Vendôme | French Benedictine monk, writer and cardinal |
| 922 | Al-Hallaj | Arab-speaking Sufi mystic and poet (c. 858–922) |
| 903 | Sugawara no Michizane | Japanese scholar, poet, and politician (845–903) |
Literary events on March 26
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1830 | The Book of Mormon is published in Palmyra, New York. |
| 1812 | The Boston Gazette printed a cartoon coining the term "gerrymander", named after Governor Elbridge Gerry (pictured), who approved the legislation that created oddly shaped electoral districts. |
| 1484 | William Caxton (pictured) printed the first English translation of Aesop's Fables. |
Featured
Martin McDonagh (1970) — Martin Faranan McDonagh is a British-born Irish playwright and filmmaker. Known for his absurdist dark humour and provocative style, he has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, six BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, and three Laurence Olivier Awards in addition to nominations for five Tony Awards.
Natsuhiko Kyogoku (1963) — Natsuhiko Kyogoku is a Japanese mystery writer, who is a member of Ōsawa Office. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of Japan and the Honkaku Mystery Writers Club of Japan.
Richard Coles (1962) — Richard Keith Robert Coles is an English writer, radio presenter, Church of England priest and former musician. After playing in the 1980s band Bronski Beat, he came to prominence as the multi-instrumentalist who partnered Jimmy Somerville in the band the Communards.
Sources & data
- Compiled from Wikipedia’s “On this day” selections (CC BY-SA 4.0), filtered for writers and literary events.