Profile of the Day: Roald Dahl

“Somewhere inside all of us is the power to change the world.”

– Roald Dahl, Matilda

Image: Roald Dahl / Library of Congress

On this day in 1916, beloved author Roald Dahl was born in Llandaff, Wales to Norwegian parents, Harald Dahl and Sofie Magdalene Hesselberg. Dahl was named after famed Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, who became the first person to reach the South Pole only a few years earlier.

During World War II, Dahl served in the Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot. While recovering from injuries sustained in a plane crash, Dahl worked as an intelligence officer at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C.

In 1943, Dahl published his first children’s book, The Gremlins, about mischievous little creatures from RAF folklore that are often used as an explanation for mechanical troubles and mishaps. The book was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made. Dahl would go on to write some of the most beloved children’s books of the 20th century, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and James and the Giant Peach.

What’s your favorite Roald Dahl book?

Explore Roald Dahl’s family tree on Geni and share how you’re related to the beloved author.

View Roald Dahl’s Geni Profile