Profile of the Day: George Orwell

George Orwell

Remember reading Nineteen Eighty-Four? On this day in 115 years ago, author George Orwell was born. Orwell is often considered one of the most influential voices of the 20th century.

The author was born Eric Arthur Blair on June 25, 1903 in Motihari, Bihar, British India. His father, Richard Walmesley Blair, worked in the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service. At the age of one, his mother took him and his sisters to England.

Better known by his pen name, George Orwell, the novelist frequently included themes of social injustice and the dangers of totalitarianism in his writing. Orwell’s work has made significant cultural and political impact around the world. Even today, his novels, Animal Farm and Nineteen-Eighty Four, remain timely and relevant. Several of the words coined in his novels have even been incorporated into everyday vernacular, most notably the phrase “Big Brother.” And the word “Orwellian” has become a common term to describe totalitarian social practices.

Explore George Orwell’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re connected to the author.
 

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