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Eugene O'Neill: Biography, Facts and Career

Who is Eugene O'Neill? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

By the Pop Culture Files editorial team4 min read✓ Fact-checked
Eugene O'Neill
Nobel Foundation via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Eugene Gladstone O'Neill Sr. (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama techniques of realism, earlier associated with Chekhov, Ibsen, and Strindberg. The tragedy Long Day's Journey into Night is often included on lists of the finest American plays in the 20th century, alongside Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. He was awarded the 1936 Nobel Prize in Literature. O'Neill is also the only playwright to win four Pulitzer Prizes for Drama. O'Neill's plays were among the first to include speeches in American English vernacular and involve characters on the fringes of society. They struggle to maintain their hopes and aspirations, ultimately sliding into disillusion and despair. Of his very few comedies, only one is well known (Ah, Wilderness!). Nearly all of his other plays involve some degree of tragedy and personal pessimism.

Quick facts about Eugene O'Neill

  • Full name: Eugene O'Neill
  • Born: 1888-10-16
  • Nationality: United States
  • Known as: Author
  • Wikidata ID: Q93157

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Eugene O'Neill?

Eugene Gladstone O'Neill Sr.

What nationality is Eugene O'Neill?

Eugene O'Neill is United States.

When was Eugene O'Neill born?

Eugene O'Neill was born on 1888-10-16.

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