September 16

Born:

1880 - Alfred Noyes
English poet best known for his ballads like "The Highwayman."

1888 - Frans Eemil Sillanpää
Finnish writer, winner of the 1933 Nobel Prize for Literature "for his deep understanding of his country's peasantry and the exquisite art with which he has portrayed their way of life and their relationship with Nature."

1898 - H.A. Rey
Worked with his wife Margret Rey as authors and illustrators of children's books. They were best known for their Curious George series. I always had a soft spot for The Stars, though.

1926 - John Knowles
American novelist best known for his book A Separate Peace.

1935 - Jules Bass
With Arthur Rankin, Jr., the animators responsible for the classic Rankin & Bass stop-motion films. Also a children's author, notably of Herb, the Vegetarian Dragon.

1943 - James Alan McPherson
American author, first African-American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1978 for his short story collection Elbow Room.

1954 - William Howard McKeen
American pop-culture authority.

1966 - Wil McCarthy
American science fiction novelist.

1968 - Walt Becker
American film director and author of the novel Link.

1973 - Justin Haythe
London-born American novelist, whose debut novel The Honeymoon was nominated for the 2004 Man Booker Prize.



Died:
1980 - Jean Piaget
1987 - Howard Moss
1993 - Oodferoo Noonuccal
2007 - Robert Jordan