Pauline Phillips
As Abigail Van Buren, she created 'Dear Abby', the world's most syndicated advice column, with a voice that was sassier and punchier than her famous twin's.
1918–2013 (age 95)·20th and 21st-century American advice columnist·Birthday: July 4·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Pauline Phillips watched her twin sister Eppie become Ann Landers and thought, 'I can do that, but better.' A year later, launched as Abigail Van Buren, she proved it. 'Dear Abby' was Ann Landers with a shot of espresso—funnier, shorter, and more tart. Phillips had a genius for the pithy, memorable reply that cut to the heart of a matter. While both sisters offered sound advice, Abby's column crackled with a different energy; she was the friend who would tell you to stop whining and get on with it. Her meteoric rise created one of the most fascinating dynastic rivalries in media history, played out in millions of newspapers. Phillips later handed the column to her daughter, Jeanne, but her legacy is that unmistakable voice—a blend of Midwestern warmth and cosmopolitan sass that redefined how America talked about its problems.
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.
Pauline was born in 1918, 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 Pauline Was Born
The biggest hits of 1918
Pauline's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1918Born
World War I ends; Spanish flu pandemic kills millions
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Started school
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1931Became a teenager
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1934Could drive
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1936Could vote
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Turned 21
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
1948Turned 30
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1958Turned 40
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1968Turned 50
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1978Turned 60
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 70
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 80
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2013Died at 95
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
Key Achievements
- Created the 'Dear Abby' advice column in 1956, which became the most widely syndicated newspaper column in the world.
- At its peak, 'Dear Abby' was published in 1,400 newspapers worldwide and reached an estimated 110 million daily readers.
- Successfully transitioned the column to a new generation, with her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, taking over as the writer in 2000.
- Her column was credited with openly discussing and destigmatizing topics like AIDS, alcoholism, and homosexuality.
Did You Know?
She chose the pen name Abigail Van Buren by combining the name of the biblical Abigail, known for her good counsel, with President Martin Van Buren.
She and her twin sister, Ann Landers, were often mistaken for each other, even by their own family members.
She launched 'Dear Abby' just 17 months after her sister started writing the 'Ann Landers' column.
She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2002 and publicly disclosed her condition in 2007.
“The best index to a person's character is how he treats people who can't do him any good, and how he treats people who can't fight back.”
