July 7

Born:

1893 - Herbert Feis
American author who won the 1960 Pulitzer Prize for History for his book Between War and Peace: The Potsdam Conference.

1904 - Simone Beck
French cooking teacher and co-author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking with Julia Child and Louisette Bertholle.

1907 - Robert Heinlein
American science fiction author, one of the most influential of his time. Known for novels like Stranger in a Strange Land and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, as well as many short stories.

1915 - Margaret Walker
An African-American poet and writer, full name Margaret Abigail Walker Alexander. Known for poems like For My People and her novel, Jubilee.

1931 - David Eddings
American author of fantasy novels. Best known for his coming-of-age series the Belgariad and the Mallorean.

1932 - T. J. Bass
American science fiction author and doctor, more well known for his claims about the healthfulness of running than his scifi.

1933 - David McCullough
American author, narrator, historian and lecturer. Pulitzer Prize winner for his biographies of Truman and John Adams.

1941 - Nancy Farmer
American author of three Newbery Honor books, as well as the winner of the 2002 National Book Award for Young People's Literature, The House of the Scorpion.

1948 - Kathy Reichs
American crime writer and forensic anthropologist. Known for her Temperance Brennan mysteries.

1956 - Peter D'Adamo
A naturopathic physician who set out the blood type diet in his book Eat Right For Your Type.

1961 - Eric Jerome Dickey
American author best known for his portrayals of African-American life, as well as grifters and ex-conx.

1968 - Jeff VanderMeer
American editor, publisher and writer of books in the New Weird genre.



Died:
1901 - Johanna Spyri
1930 - Arthur Conan Doyle
1984 - George Oppen
1999 - Julie Campbell Tatham
2011 - Allan W. Eckert