E. B. White
A master of quiet prose who gave the world a spider who could spell and a mouse who lived in a New York City apartment.
1899–1985 (age 86)·American author·Birthday: July 11·The Lost Generation
Biography
E. B. White was a man who found his voice in the understated, transforming the minutiae of rural life and urban anxiety into enduring literature. After a stint at Cornell and a wandering youth, he landed at the fledgling New Yorker, where his crisp, witty essays helped define the magazine's tone for decades. He split his time between the buzz of Manhattan and a saltwater farm in Maine, a duality that fueled his work. While his adult readers cherished his collected essays, it was his leap into children's fiction, beginning with 'Stuart Little,' that cemented his legacy. With 'Charlotte's Web,' he crafted a tale of friendship and mortality on a barnyard scale, written with a clarity and emotional honesty that has spoken to generations without ever speaking down to them.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
E. was born in 1899, placing them squarely in The Lost 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 E. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1899
E.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1899Born
President: William McKinley
1904Started school
New York City opens its first subway line
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1912Became a teenager
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Could drive
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1917Could vote
Russian Revolution overthrows the tsar; US enters WWI
President: Woodrow Wilson
1920Turned 21
Women gain the right to vote in the US
Home: $3,395President: Woodrow Wilson"Swanee" — Al Jolson
1929Turned 30
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1939Turned 40
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1949Turned 50
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1959Turned 60
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 70
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 80
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1985Died at 86
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
Key Achievements
- Wrote the children's classics 'Charlotte's Web' and 'Stuart Little,' which have sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.
- Was a foundational contributor to The New Yorker for over half a century, shaping its literary style.
- Co-authored the essential writing guide 'The Elements of Style,' adapting and expanding William Strunk Jr.'s original textbook.
- Received a special Pulitzer Prize citation in 1978 for his lifetime of work.
Did You Know?
He was deeply afraid of public speaking and reportedly turned down many awards ceremonies for this reason.
The barn in 'Charlotte's Web' was inspired by the very real barn on his farm in North Brooklin, Maine.
He originally wrote 'Stuart Little' for his niece, and it was published despite internal objections at The New Yorker about a human couple giving birth to a mouse.
He purchased his Maine farm with the advance he received for 'Stuart Little.'
““I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.””
