Profile of the Day: Charles Dickens

Today we remember Victorian writer Charles Dickens, who died on this day in 1870 at the age of 58.

Image: Charles Dickens / Library of Congress

Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on February 7, 1812 in Portsmouth, England. He was the second child of John Dickens, a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, and Elizabeth Dickens. When his father was imprisoned for debt, a twelve-year-old Dickens was forced to leave school and work in a factory to help support his family. He was only able to return to school after his father received a family inheritance that paid off his debt.

Remembered as one of the greatest writers of the Victorian era, Dickens’s work was immensely popular during his lifetime. Some of his most memorable novels, such as Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, and A Christmas Carol, have been adapted multiple times on stage, film, and television.

On June 8, 1970, Dickens suffered a stroke at his home. Never regaining consciousness, he died the next day.

What’s your favorite Dickens novel?

Explore Charles Dickens’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the Victorian author.

View Charles Dickens’s Geni Profile