On April 17, 1897, the famous American novelist and short story writer, Thornton Wilder, was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Wilder is best known for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" (1927) and his play "Our Town" (1938), which also won a Pulitzer Prize.
Thornton Wilder was born into a family of scholars and grew up in China and California before attending Yale University. After graduating, he served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War I and later studied archaeology in Rome. These experiences greatly influenced his writing, which often explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition across different cultures and time periods.
Wilder's most famous work, "Our Town," is a three-act play that tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913. The play is known for its minimalist stage setting and its profound exploration of the universal human experience. It has become a staple of American theater and is widely performed in schools and community theaters across the country.
Throughout his career, Wilder wrote several other notable works, including the plays "The Skin of Our Teeth" (1942) and "The Matchmaker" (1954), which was later adapted into the musical "Hello, Dolly!" He also wrote the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943).
Thornton Wilder passed away on December 7, 1975, in Hamden, Connecticut, at the age of 78. His legacy as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century continues to inspire and influence generations of readers and theatergoers.
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