F. Scott Fitzgerald Biography

By Naumchikel

  • Family

    His parents were Edward and Mollie Fitzgerald.

  • Birth

    Birth
    F. Scott Fitzgerald was born on September 24, 1896 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

  • Academic Track

    Academic Track
    Fitzgerald went to Princeton, but was not the best student, so he decided to join the army.

  • Love Interest

    Fitzgerald was assigned to a camp near Montgomery, Alabama, where he met Zelda Sayer, the youngest daughter of a Supreme Court judge.

  • First novel

    Fitzgerald's first novel "The Romantic Egotist", while he was in the army.

  • Back from the Army

    In 1919, Fitzgerald left the army to make some money so that he could marry Zelda. But she called off the engagement because she didn't like that he didn't have a steady income.

  • Career as a Writer

    Toward the end of 1919, Fitzgerald declares his career as a writer for the mass circulation magazines, such as his best story market, "The Saturday evening Post".

  • Second Novel

    After his marriage, Fitzgerald wrote his second novel called, "The Beautiful and Damned". The novel mirrored the NYC cafe society during the jazz age.

  • Married

    Married
    F. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda Sayer were married on April 3,1920 in New York.

  • Francis Scott Fitzgerald is Born

    Once they moved back to St. Paul, Minnesota, Zelda gave birth to their only daughter Francis Scott Fitzgerald.

  • Zelda Pregnant

    Zelda became pregnant a year after they got married, leading them to move back to St. Paul.

  • The Great Gatsby

    After a failure with writing a play in Long Island, New York, Fitzgerald along with his family went to France. It was here that "The Great Gatsby" was written.

  • Zelda's Breakdown

    Zelda's Breakdown
    Shortly after moving back to America, Zelda had her first breakdown and was treated in Switzerland. During this time, Fitzgerald paused writing his novels and wrote short stories to pay for her treatment.

  • Fourth Novel

    Fitzgerald wrote his fourth novel, "Tender Is the Night". This novel shows the deterioration between an American psychiatrist and a wealthy mental patient. This closely related to the Fitzgeralds' relationship during that period.
  • Period: to

    The Crack-Up Years

    During these years, Fitzgerald did not write any stories or novels due to his alcoholism. Essentially, this resulted in Francis beingsent to boarding school at 14 because her father could not take care of her.

  • Death

    Shortly after beginning his last novel, Fitzgerald suffered a fatal heart attack.