Charles Dickens Quick Facts - Quick Facts

Birth

February 7, 1812

Death

June 9, 1870

Place of Birth

Portsmouth, England

Known As

One of the most popular novelists in English literature, known for creating comic characters and detailed narratives in works that examine 19th-century social conditions

Milestones

1827-1832 Worked as an office clerk in a law firm, taught himself shorthand, and began working as a reporter for the Mirror of Parliament and the True Sun

1833-1836 Published a series of short stories and essays for several periodicals under the pen name Boz, which were collected and published in the book Sketches by Boz in 1836

1836 Married Catherine Hogarth and began work on his comic narrative The Pickwick Papers, which was published in monthly segments from April 1836 to November 1837

1837-1839 Published in serial form the novel Oliver Twist, the story of a young boy living in impoverished conditions; also serially published the novel Nicholas Nickleby from 1838 to 1839

1843 Published the short novel A Christmas Carol, a mythical tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge

1849-1850 Published in serial form the novel he considered his favorite work, David Copperfield, which parallels events from his own life

1850-1859 Published and edited the periodical Household Words, which showcased his own serialized novels, including Hard Times (1854)

1859-1870 After folding Household Words, Dickens began the periodical All the Year Round.

1859-1861 Published in serial form the historical novel A Tale of Two Cities in the periodical All the Year Round, followed by the novel Great Expectations in 1860 and 1861

1870 Dickens died unexpectedly; his final unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, was published posthumously.

Quote

'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times ...' A Tale of Two Cities, bk. 1, ch. 1

Did You Know

At the age of 12, Dickens was forced to leave school and work in a factory after his father was thrown in jail for outstanding debts.

As a young man, Dickens aspired to become an actor.

Dickens was wildly successful at publishing his novels in monthly installments, and achieved great popularity at the age of 24 with the serial publication of The Pickwick Papers.

In 1842, Dickens toured the United States giving lectures. He spoke out in favor of the abolition of slavery and the implementation of international copyrights.

Dickens was father to seven sons and three daughters.

In 1858, Dickens began giving well-attended public readings of his works and continued to do so for the next decade.