Henry Fielding More than Tom Jones Creator

Author/Playwright
Henry Fielding

On April 22, 1707, British literary history was about to change, for Henry Fielding was born in Sharpham Park, Somerset, England. No one could have realized at the time that he would become a novelist, one of the first great long-fiction writers to work in English. No one could have guessed, either, that he would be instrumental in forming Scotland Yard! More

The Bronte Sisters Rock!

The Bronte Sisters painted by their brother

Three sisters who lived and wrote at a time when they weren't supposed to do such heretical things, the Brontes were truly remarkable women. Turning out magnificent classics such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Agnes Grey, each sister died before her 40th birthday. Yet each one, in her own way, left an indelible mark upon literature and the world. Check out their remarkable story at "It Happened in History" today. MORE

Arthur Hailey: Big Time Success

Author Arthur Hailey

One of the most successful commercial writers in history (Airport, Hotel, The Moneychangers), Hailey was born on April 5, 1920, at Luton, England. He was an unlikely candidate for success, having endured an education in Britain's free school system until he was forced to quit at the age of 14 because his parents couldn't afford to send him to a private finishing school. He took a job as a lowly clerk, which he kept until World War II erupted in Europe. He joined the Royal Air Force and served in the flying corps, gaining the rank of Flight Lieutenant. More