Date of Birth: August 19, 1930
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Date of Death: July 19, 2009
Biography
Frank McCourt was an Irish-American author and teacher, renowned for his memoir “Angela’s Ashes,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography in 1997. Born in Brooklyn, New York, McCourt’s early years were marked by poverty and hardship. His family moved back to Limerick, Ireland, when he was just four years old, where they continued to struggle with poverty. McCourt returned to the United States at the age of 19 and worked various jobs before using the G.I. Bill to attend New York University. He later earned a master’s degree from Brooklyn College and spent nearly three decades teaching English in New York City high schools. His experiences and the stories of his students provided rich material for his later works. “Angela’s Ashes,” his first book, was published when McCourt was in his mid-60s. The memoir, which detailed his harrowing childhood in Limerick, was followed by “‘Tis,” which chronicled his experiences as an immigrant in America, and “Teacher Man,” which focused on his teaching career.
5 Interesting Facts about Frank McCourt
1. Frank McCourt served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.
2. “Angela’s Ashes” was translated into more than 25 languages.
3. McCourt taught at Stuyvesant High School in New York City, one of the city’s most prestigious public high schools.
4. He won the National Book Critics Circle Award and the LA Times Book Award for “Angela’s Ashes.”
5. McCourt’s memoirs have sold millions of copies worldwide, making him a celebrated figure in contemporary literature.
5 Most Interesting Quotes from Frank McCourt
1. “When I look back on my childhood, I wonder how I managed to survive at all.”
2. “You might be poor, your shoes might be broken, but your mind is a palace.”
3. “The happy childhood is hardly worth your while.”
4. “It is not the miserable who have the most difficulty in escaping from their condition, but the happy.”
5. “Stock your mind. It is your house of treasure and no one in the world can interfere with it.”
Highest Net Worth Achieved
At the peak of his career, Frank McCourt’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million.
Children
Frank McCourt had one daughter, Margaret McCourt, with his first wife, Alberta Small.
Relevant Links
1. [Frank McCourt Biography on Biography.com](https://www.biography.com/writer/frank-mccourt
2. [Frank McCourt’s Books on Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24291.Frank_McCourt
3. [Pulitzer Prize Announcement for Angela’s Ashes](https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/frank-mccourt
