Erich Segal
A Yale classics professor who penned a global pop-culture phenomenon, forever linking tragic romance with the phrase 'love means never having to say you're sorry.'
1937–2010 (age 73)·American author·Birthday: June 16·The Silent Generation
Biography
Erich Segal lived a double life that captivated the world. By day, he was a respected, tweed-clad professor of Greek and Latin literature at Yale, authoring scholarly works on Roman comedy. By night, he was writing the screenplay for the Beatles' animated film 'Yellow Submarine.' This collision of high academia and popular culture culminated in 'Love Story,' a slim novel he wrote first as a screenplay. Its publication in 1970 sparked a publishing frenzy, becoming the top-selling work of fiction in America for the year and spawning a massively successful film. The story of Oliver and Jenny made Segal a household name, though some in academia sniffed at his commercial success. He continued to teach and write, navigating the strange space between being the author of a sentimental blockbuster and a serious classicist, a duality that defined his unique career.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Erich was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Erich Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Erich's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
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
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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
1997Turned 60
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 70
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Died at 73
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
Key Achievements
- Wrote the novel 'Love Story' (1970), which was the bestselling work of fiction in the United States for that year.
- Wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of 'Love Story,' which was nominated for seven Academy Awards.
- Was a tenured professor of Classics at Yale University, teaching ancient Greek and Latin literature.
- Co-wrote the screenplay for the animated Beatles film 'Yellow Submarine.'
Did You Know?
He was a champion marathon runner and competed in the Boston Marathon.
Segal was originally hired to write the screenplay for 'The Godfather' but was replaced early in the process.
He was a member of the first class of modern pentathlon at the 1952 Summer Olympics, though he did not compete.
The famous line 'Love means never having to say you're sorry' originates from his novel and screenplay.
“Love means never having to say you're sorry.”
