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Born
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Ray Bradbury was born on August 22,1920 in Waukegan, Illinois, to Leonard Spaulding Bradbury (a lineman for power and telephone utilities) and Ester Moberg Bradbury (a Swedish immigrant). -
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The Life of Ray Bradbury
A timeline of Ray Bradbury's life and continued to current events. -
Moved to California
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Bombing of Pearl Harbor
Source
Bradbury sold his first professional piece, "Pendulum," in November, just before the bombing. He was ruled ineligible for military service due to vision problems. -
Became a full-time writer
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Married Marguerite McClure
They had 4 daughters: Susan, Ramona, Bettina, and Alexandra. -
Published Martian Chronicles
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Published Fahrenheit 451
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Suffered a stroke
Left him partially dependent on a wheelchair for mobility. -
Received a Special Citation from the Pulitzer Board
For his "distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy." In his final years, Bradbury felt content about his place in the annals of science fiction history, having achieved his childhood ambition of living forever through his work. "I don't need to be vindicated," he said, "and I don't want attention. I never question. I never ask anyone else's opinion. They don't count." -
Received a Special Citation from Pulitzer Board
For his "distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy." In his final years, Bradbury felt content about his place in the annals of science fiction history, having achieved his childhood ambition of living forever through his work. "I don't need to be vindicated," he said, "and I don't want attention. I never question. I never ask anyone else's opinion. They don't count." -
Died
Bradbury died in Los Angeles at the age of 91.
"Ray Bradbury wrote three great novels and three hundred great stories. One of the latter was called 'A Sound of Thunder.' The sound I hear today is the thunder of a giant's footsteps fading away. But the novels and stories remain, in all their resonance and strange beauty." - Stephen King -
Public Statement from the White House
"For many Americans, the news of Ray Bradbury's death immediately brought to mind images from his work, imprinted in our minds, often from a young age. His gift for storytelling reshaped our culture and expanded our world. But Ray also understood that our imaginations could be used as a tool for better understanding, a vehicle for change, and an expression of our most cherished values. There is no doubt that Ray will continue to inspire many more generations with his writing,.." President Obama
