Profile of the Day: Hans Christian Andersen
Today we remember Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, who was born on this day in 1805. Popular across the globe, Andersen’s fairytales have been translated into over 125 languages and have been adapted into numerous animated films, plays, and ballets.
Image: Hans Christian Andersen / Bergen Public Library, Flickr
Andersen was born on April 2, 1805 in Odense, Denmark. Although his family was poor, Andersen received a boarding school education often reserved for the privileged. A prolific writer, Andersen wrote plays, travelogues, novels, poems and most famously, fairytales. Some of his most famous include “The Little Mermaid,” “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” and “The Ugly Duckling.”
Andersen died on August 4, 1874 in Copenhagen at the age of 70. Today his birthday is celebrated as International Children’s Book Day.
Explore Hans Christian Andersen’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the famous author!