The Life of

Early Life

Born in Salinas, California

February 27, 1902

His father had many odd

jobs and his mother was a
schoolteacher

He had three sisters

Happy childhood

Starting Out as a Writer

Moved to New York

Worked as a construction worker and

newspaper reporter

Moved back to California

Wrote his first novel Cup of Gold in 1929

Married his first wife Carol

Becoming Famous

Wrote The Pastures of Heaven in 1932

To a God Unknown in 1933

In 5 years, he wrote five novels

Tortilla Flat in 1935, In Dubious Battle in 1936, Of Mice and Men in 1937, The Long Valley
in 1938, and considerably his greatest work, The Grapes of Wrath in 1939.

Grapes of Wrath sold 10,000 copies per week

Involvement in the War

After publishing The Grapes of Wrath, got involved with the war

Started writing war propaganda

He wrote Bombs Away: The Story of a Bomber Team in 1942

after recording an American bomber team

Published The Moon Is Down that same year

In some countries during WWII, you could get shot for owning
The Moon Is Down

Published Once There Was a War in 1958 as a response to the

war

Later Years

He continued to write more books.

From 1941 to his death he had three

marriages, and two divorces.

He wrote 19 more novels from 1942 to

death.

Also had two kids, one in 1944 and the

other in 1946.

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction- 1940: The

Grapes of Wrath

National Book Award for Fiction- 1940:

The Grapes of Wrath

Oscar Nomination for Lifeboat- 1944

Nobel Prize in Literature- 1962

Presidential Medal of Freedom- 1964

Steinbecks Travels

1937- Steinbeck travels to Europe for the first time as a journalist, making a stop in
Russia.

1943- He travels to Europe and North Africa to cover World War II for the New York
Herald Tribune newspaper.

1947- Steinbeck travels through Soviet Russia reporting for the New York Herald
Tribune.

1960- Steinbeck tours the United States in a van with his poodle Charley

1963- Steinbeck goes on a two month tour of Western Europe

Death

Died on December 20, 1968

Heart disease

Age 66

Known to be a lifelong smoker

Remember as one of the greats

Steinbeck, Age 65

Works Cited

"John Steinbeck - Biographical." John Steinbeck - Biographical. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

"National Steinbeck Center." John Steinbeck Biography ::. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.

Steinbeck, John, and John Steinbeck. Of Mice and Men. New York: Penguin, 1986. Print.

"Chronological List of John Steinbeck's Books." Monterey County Historical Society, Local History Pages. San Jose State
University Steinbeck Center, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2016.

Shmoop Editorial Team. "John Steinbeck Timeline of Important Dates." Shmoop.com. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008.
Web. 23 Feb. 2016.