Jules Renard

popular name: Émile Zola

date_of_death: September 29, 1902

age: 62

cause_of_death: Carbon monoxide poisoning caused by an improperly ventilated chimney, but some speculation of possible homicide

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Émile Zola was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of theatrical naturalism. Naturalism contributes something more than realism: the attention brought to bear on the most lush and opulent aspects of people and the natural world. He was a major figure in the political liberalization of France and in the exoneration of the falsely accused and convicted army officer Alfred Dreyfus, which is encapsulated in the renowned newspaper headline J'Accuse…! Zola was nominated for the first and second Nobel Prize in Literature in 1901 and 1902.

popular name: O. Henry

date_of_death: June 5, 1910

age: 47

cause_of_death: Cirrhosis of the liver with complications of diabetes and an enlarged heart

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: William Sydney Porter, better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American short story writer. Porter was born in Greensboro, North Carolina. He moved to Texas in 1882, where he met his wife, Athol Estes, with whom he had two children. In 1902, after the death of his wife, Porter moved to New York, where he soon remarried. Will Porter's most prolific writing period started in New York City where he wrote 381 short stories including "The Gift of the Magi", "The Duplicity of Hargraves", and "The Ransom of Red Chief". His stories are known for their surprise endings and witty narration. He wrote a story a week for over a year for the New York World Sunday Magazine. His wit, characterization, and plot twists were adored by his readers but often panned by critics. Porter was a heavy drinker, and by 1908, his markedly deteriorating health affected his writing. In 1909, Sarah left him, and he died on June 5, 1910, of cirrhosis of the liver, complications of diabetes, and an enlarged heart. Porter's legacy includes the O. Henry Award, an annual prize awarded to outstanding short stories. He was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery in Asheville, NC.

popular name: Erich Maria Remarque

date_of_death: September 25, 1970

age: 72

cause_of_death: Heart failure

claim_to_fame: Writers and Poets

best_know_for: Erich Maria Remarque was a German-born novelist best known for his stark and poignant depictions of war and its aftermath. Born on June 22, 1898, in Osnabrück, Germany, he served as a soldier in World War I, an experience that profoundly shaped his worldview and writing. His most famous work, All Quiet on the Western Front (1929), is a powerful anti-war novel that presents the harrowing experiences of German soldiers during the Great War. The book was a massive success internationally but faced backlash in Nazi Germany, where it was banned and publicly burned. Remarque fled the country in the 1930s, eventually settling in the United States, where he became a naturalized citizen. Throughout his career, he continued to explore themes of disillusionment, exile, and the human cost of war in novels such as The Road Back, Arch of Triumph, and The Black Obelisk. Remarque died on September 25, 1970, in Locarno, Switzerland.