J. D. Salinger
His tale of teenage alienation captured a postwar mood, then he spent a lifetime fleeing the fame it created.
1919–2010 (age 91)·American author·Birthday: January 1·The Greatest Generation
Biography
J.D. Salinger authored a single novel that became a rite of passage for disaffected youth, then spent the next six decades in stubborn, reclusive retreat from its staggering success. 'The Catcher in the Rye,' published in 1951, gave voice to Holden Caulfield's raw, cynical, and deeply felt anguish, his hunt for authenticity in a world of 'phonies.' The book struck a nerve, selling tens of millions of copies and defining a generation's alienation. Salinger, who had seen brutal combat in World War II, found the subsequent celebrity unbearable. He retreated to a secluded life in Cornish, New Hampshire, publishing sparingly in The New Yorker—masterful, cryptic stories like 'Franny and Zooey' that often focused on the gifted Glass family. His later years were defined by his fierce protection of his privacy, legal battles over his unpublished work, and his transformation from famous writer to American myth. His legacy is the powerful, paradoxical union of one of literature's most enduring voices and one of its most enduring silences.
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.
J. was born in 1919, 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 J. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1919
J.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1919Born
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Started school
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1932Became a teenager
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1935Could drive
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1937Could vote
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
1940Turned 21
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1949Turned 30
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 40
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 50
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 60
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
1989Turned 70
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
1999Turned 80
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2010Died at 91
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 Catcher in the Rye,' a foundational novel of teenage alienation that has sold over 65 million copies worldwide.
- Published a series of influential short stories in The New Yorker, including 'A Perfect Day for Bananafish.'
- His later work, including the collections 'Nine Stories' and 'Franny and Zooey,' focused on the spiritually seeking Glass family.
- His writing, though limited in volume, had an outsized impact on 20th-century American literature and culture.
Did You Know?
He was involved in the D-Day landings at Utah Beach and later fought in the Battle of the Bulge.
He had a brief relationship with writer Joyce Maynard in the 1970s, who later wrote about their time together.
He was a devoted practitioner of Vedanta Hinduism and other spiritual disciplines.
He refused to allow any adaptation of 'The Catcher in the Rye' for stage or screen.
“What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it.”
