Profile of the Day: Lewis Carroll

Remember reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland? On this day in 1898, author Lewis Carroll died at the age of 65.

Image: Lewis Carroll / Library of Congress

The famous author was born Charles Lutwidge Dodgson on January 27, 1832 in Daresbury, Cheshire, England. He was the third of eleven children born to Charles Dodgsen, a clergyman, and Frances Jane Lutwidge. Growing up, Carroll was an avid reader and suffered from a stutter that would last most of his life. He was also gifted mathematician and would published several books on the subject.

In 1865, he published his famous novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland under the pen name Lewis Carroll. Carroll had often made up stories to entertain the children of his close friend, Henry Liddell. It is believed the character of “Alice” was inspired by Liddell’s daughter, Alice, who asked Carroll to write down his stories for her on paper. The book was Carroll’s first commercial success and would become one of the most popular children’s books in England by the time of his death in 1898.

Explore Lewis Carroll’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the English author.

View Lewis Carroll’s Geni Profile