Daphne du Maurier
A master of atmospheric suspense who wove tales of obsession and haunting memory against the brooding cliffs of Cornwall.
1907–1989 (age 82)·English novelist·Birthday: May 13·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Daphne du Maurier was born in 1907 into London's theatrical aristocracy, the daughter of a famous actor, but her heart belonged to the wild coast of Cornwall. She found her stage not in the footlights but on the page, crafting novels where place is a central, breathing character. Her stories are not simple ghost tales but psychological explorations of possession—by the past, by a place, by an idea of a person. 'Rebecca,' her most famous work, is a masterpiece of unease, where a house, Manderley, looms as large as the absent first wife. While often grouped with romance writers, her work is darker, more gothic, and morally complex, examining the shadows within seemingly respectable lives. Living much of her life in the Cornish manor house she bought, Menabilly (the model for Manderley), she became as reclusive as some of her characters, a baronet's wife who preferred the company of her dogs and her imagination.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Daphne was born in 1907, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Daphne Was Born
The biggest hits of 1907
Daphne's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1907Born
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Started school
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1920Became a teenager
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1923Could drive
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1925Could vote
The Scopes Trial debates evolution in schools
Home: $4,366President: Calvin Coolidge"Sweet Georgia Brown" — Ben Bernie
1928Turned 21
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1937Turned 30
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1947Turned 40
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1957Turned 50
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1967Turned 60
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 70
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 80
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Died at 82
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
Key Achievements
- Wrote 'Rebecca,' a landmark gothic novel that has never been out of print and won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century.
- Her story 'The Birds' was adapted into a seminal horror film by Alfred Hitchcock, who also directed adaptations of 'Rebecca' and 'Jamaica Inn.'
- Authored 'My Cousin Rachel,' a masterful novel of ambiguity that continues to spark debate over its protagonist's guilt or innocence.
- Was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1969 for her contributions to literature.
Did You Know?
She had a deep fascination with her ancestor, Mary Anne Clarke, a courtesan, and wrote a historical biography about her.
Du Maurier had intense, possibly romantic, friendships with several women, including the actress Gertrude Lawrence.
She was a skilled sailor and enjoyed taking boat trips along the Cornish coast.
The fictional country of 'Ruritania' in adventure novels was coined by her grandfather, George du Maurier.
“Happiness is not a possession to be prized, it is a quality of thought, a state of mind.”
