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Education and Early Life
The young Dahl received his earliest education at Llandaff Cathedral School. When the principal gave him a harsh beating for playing a practical joke, Dahl's mother decided to enroll her rambunctious and mischievous child at St. Peter's, a British boarding school, as had been her husband's wish.
Dahl later transferred to Repton, a private school with a reputation for academic excellence.
Dahl graduated from Repton in 1932. -
Born
Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, South Wales, on September 13, 1916. Dahl's parents were Norwegian. As a child, he spent his summer vacations visiting with his grandparents in Oslo. When Dahl was four years old, his father died. -
Travel Around Canada and Africa
He went on a hiking trip to Newfoundland in Canada.
After his hiking tour was finished he got a job with shell Petroleum Company and worked in exotic locations like Kenya and Tanzania. -
Fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force
he became a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force in 1940, in World War 2.
In 1940, Roald Dahl was badly injured in a plane crash. He fractured his skull, broke his nose and was temporarily blinded by the crash. -
Aerial Combat
He saw his first aerial combat on te 15th of April 1941. He was Flying a Hawker Hurricane. -
Battle on Athens
He took part in the Battle of Athens. -
Back Home
In late 1941, Dahl was sent from the war back to his home Britian. He was invalided home after beginning to get severe headaches that caused him to black . -
British Diplomat, Spy
In 1942, he became a british diplomat. He was appointed as assistant air attache at the British Embassy in Washington DC.
During the war, he was recruited as a spy for MI6. -
Short Stories
Roald Dahl began his writing career with short stories; in all, he published nine short story collections. Dahl first caught the writing bug while in Washington, D.C., when he met with author C.S. Forrester, who encouraged him to start writing. Dahl published his first short story in the Saturday Evening Post. He went on to write stories and articles for other magazines, including The New Yorker. -
The Gremlins
Dahl wrote his first story for children, The Gremlins, in 1942, for Walt Disney. The story wasn't terribly successful, so Dahl went back to writing macabre and mysterious stories geared toward adult readers. He continued in this vein into the 1950s, producing the best-selling story collection Someone Like You in 1953, and Kiss, Kiss in 1959. -
Bye to Royal Air Force
In August 1946, Dahl left the Royar Air Force. -
First Marriage of Roald Dahl
He married with the American actress Patricia Neal. They weadding took place in New York City and the marriage lasted thirty years. They had five children together.
His dauther Olivia died of measles encephalitis at the age of seven. -
'James and the Giant Peach' (1961)
Over his decades-long writing career, Dahl composed 19 children’s books. Despite their popularity, Dahl’s children’s books have been the subject of some controversy, as critics and parents have balked at their portrayal of children’s harsh revenge on adult wrongdoers. In his defense, Dahl claimed that children have a cruder sense of humor than adults, and that he was merely trying to appeal to his readers.
The first book was James and the Giant Peach. -
'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'
Three years after his first children’s book, Dahl published another big winner, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A quirky, solitary businessman, Willy Wonka, has been holed up alone inside his fantastical chocolate factory until he releases five golden tickets inside the wrappers of candy bars. Winners — including the poor little boy Charlie Bucket, who doesn’t have much to eat — are awarded a visit. -
'Fantastic Mr. Fox'
Three farmers are out to get the cunning trickster Mr. Fox, who outwits them every time. Mr. Fox lives in a tree with his wife and family, which was inspired by a real 150-year beech tree Dahl knew as the “witches tree” standing outside his house. -
'Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'
Roald Dahl wrote several television and movie scripts. Several film adaptations of his books have also been created (all of those made during his lifetime Dahl famously despised), most notably: 'Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' (1971)
This Dahl favorite, originally known as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a book, starred Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka. An originally titled remake of the film, starring Johnny Depp, was released in 2005. -
'The BFG'
Of his many stories, Roald Dahl said The BFG was his favorite. He came up with the idea for a giant who stores dreams in bottles for kids to enjoy when they sleep several years before, and he told the story of the Big Friendly Giant to his own kids at bedtime. -
First divorced
Patricia got divorced in 1983. -
'The Witches'
A boy happens upon a witch convention, where the witches are planning to get rid of every last child in England. The boy and his grandmother must battle the witches to save the children. -
Second Marriage of Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl went on to marry Felicity Crossland -
'Matilda'
Roald Dahl’s last long story follows the adventures of a genius five-year-old girl, Matilda Wormwood, who uses her powers to help her beloved teacher outwit the cruel headmistress. -
'The BFG'
The BFG was first made into a stop-motion animated film in 1989, with David Jason playing the voice of the Big Friendly Giant. The movie was remade in 2016 by Steven Spielberg and featured live actors. -
'The Witches'
In this live-action film features Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch. Rowan Atkinson also appeared as hotel manager Mr. Stringer. -
Death
Dahl died on November 23, 1990, at the age of 74. After suffering an unspecified infection, on November 12, 1990, Dahl had been admitted to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, England. -
'Matilda'
Danny DeVito directed this movie adaptation and also voiced the narrator -
'The Fantastic Mr. Fox'
In 2009, Wes Anderson directed this quirky, touching animated feature about the adventures of the farm-raiding Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney), with a cast including Meryl Streep (Mrs. Fox) and Bill Murray (Badger).