Ellen Glasgow

popular name: Franz Kafka

date_of_death: June 3, 1924

age: 40

cause_of_death: Laryngeal tuberculosis and starvation

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Franz Kafka was a German-speaking Bohemian writer born on July 3, 1883, in Prague, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now the Czech Republic). He is widely regarded as one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century. Kafka was born into a middle-class Jewish family and had a complicated relationship with his domineering father, which deeply influenced his writing. He studied law at the University of Prague and worked for much of his life in insurance, writing in his spare time. Kafka’s works often explore themes of alienation, absurdity, and the oppressive power of bureaucracy, with his most famous stories including The Metamorphosis, The Trial, and The Castle. His distinctive style blends realism with surreal, nightmarish scenarios, reflecting a sense of existential dread. Despite writing prolifically, Kafka published only a few works during his lifetime and instructed his friend Max Brod to destroy his manuscripts after his death. Brod ignored these wishes and instead edited and published much of Kafka’s work, securing his posthumous reputation. Upon his passing, the grave of Franz Kafka can be found at New Jewish Cemetery in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

popular name: Ian Fleming

date_of_death: August 12, 1964

age: 56

cause_of_death: Heart disease

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Ian Fleming was a British writer and naval intelligence officer who is best known for his iconic James Bond series of spy novels. The Bond stories rank among the best-selling series of fictional books of all time, having sold over 100 million copies worldwide. Fleming also wrote the children's story Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang and two works of non-fiction. In 2008, The Times ranked Fleming 14th on its list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Two of his James Bond books were published posthumously; other writers have since produced Bond novels. Fleming's creation has appeared in film twenty-six times, portrayed by seven actors.

popular name: Nellie Bly

date_of_death: January 27, 1922

age: 57

cause_of_death: Pneumonia

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Nellie Bly, born Elizabeth Cochran on May 5, 1864, in Cochran's Mills, Pennsylvania, was a pioneering American journalist, industrialist, and humanitarian best known for her groundbreaking investigative reporting. She gained national recognition in 1887 when she feigned insanity to expose the harsh conditions at the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island, resulting in her famous exposé Ten Days in a Mad-House, which revolutionized mental health care. Bly also gained fame for her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days, inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 Days. As one of the first female investigative journalists, she challenged the traditional roles of women in journalism with her bold, immersive reporting style. Later in life, she became a businesswoman and continued advocating for social reform until her death on January 27, 1922. She was laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.