Profile of the Day: Rudyard Kipling

Posted December 30, 2021 by Amanda | No Comment

Today marks the 156th birthday of acclaimed author Rudyard Kipling!

Image: Rudyard Kipling / Library of Congress

He was born Joseph Rudyard Kipling in Bombay, British India on December 30, 1865 to Alice MacDonald and John Lockwood Kipling. His mother was one of four notable sisters who had married well known men of the Victorian Era. His father, a sculptor and pottery designer, was the principal and professor of Architectural Sculpture at the Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art in Bombay. In 1865, his parents moved to India and were so taken with the beauty of the Rudyard Lake area that they incorporated it into the name of their son.

As a young boy, Kipling was sent to England to further his education. However, he detested his time there and found solace in his books. He returned to India as a young man and became inspired by his surroundings, and highly influenced much of his writings. Some of his most popular stories include The Jungle Book, Just So Stories and Kim. In 1907, Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and had been regarded as one of the most successful writers of his time.

Are you a fan of Kipling’s stories?

Explore Rudyard Kipling’s family tree and discover how you’re related to the author!