T. S. Eliot

1888 – 1965 · died at about 77^[1][2]

Literature

Fun Facts About T. S. Eliot

• T. S. Eliot won two posthumous Tony Awards in 1983 because his Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats became the musical Cats.^[1]
• Before he became a publisher, Eliot worked at Lloyds Bank in London on foreign accounts, starting in 1917.^[1]
• "Old Possum" was Ezra Pound's nickname for Eliot, and Pound heavily edited The Waste Land, which Eliot dedicated to him as "the better craftsman."^[1]
• Eliot found James Joyce arrogant when they met in Paris in 1920, and Joyce doubted Eliot's poetry, but the two soon became friends.^[1][3][4]
• Eliot was born in St. Louis, Missouri, but took British citizenship in 1927, renouncing his US citizenship.^[1]
• Eliot's ashes rest in East Coker, the English village his ancestors left for America, under a plaque reading "In my beginning is my end. In my end is my beginning."^[1]
• T. S. Eliot was alive at the same time as Kamala Harris — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1964–1965).^[1][2][5][6]
• T. S. Eliot shares a birthday with Serena Williams: both were born on September 26.^[1][2][7][8]

Thomas Stearns Eliot was a poet, essayist and playwright. He was a leading figure of modernist poetry in the English language where he altered the art through his writing style, verse structure and use of pessimistic language. Awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Literature, he is considered one of the greatest poets of the English language. He is also noted for his critical essays, which often re-evaluated long-held cultural beliefs.^[1]

Contemporaries

Winston Churchill

77 yr overlap

Pablo Picasso

77 yr overlap

Igor Stravinsky

77 yr overlap

Coco Chanel

77 yr overlap

Georgia O'Keeffe

77 yr overlap

Lise Meitner

77 yr overlap

Helen Keller

77 yr overlap

Chiang Kai-shek

77 yr overlap

Albert Schweitzer

77 yr overlap

Le Corbusier

77 yr overlap

Harry S. Truman

77 yr overlap

Bertrand Russell

77 yr overlap

Their World

Questions About T. S. Eliot

When was T. S. Eliot born?

T. S. Eliot was born on September 26, 1888, and died on January 4, 1965.

How old was T. S. Eliot at death?

T. S. Eliot was born on September 26, 1888, and died on January 4, 1965, at age 76.

What was T. S. Eliot known for?

T. S. Eliot was known for: The Waste Land, Nobel-winning modernist poet. Thomas Stearns Eliot was a poet, essayist and playwright. He was a leading figure of modernist poetry in the English language where he altered the art through his writing style, verse structure and use of pessimistic language. Awarded the 1948 Nobel Prize in Literature, he is considered one of the greatest poets of the English language. He is also noted for his critical essays, which often re-evaluated long-held cultural beliefs.

Who was alive at the same time as T. S. Eliot?

T. S. Eliot's closest contemporary was Winston Churchill. Their lives overlapped for 77 years.