George Bernard Shaw

Date of Birth: July 26, 1856

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Date of Death: November 2, 1950

Biography

George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright, critic, and polemicist who became one of the leading figures in Western literature. Born on July 26, 1856, in Dublin, Ireland, Shaw moved to London in 1876 and struggled financially before establishing himself as a writer. He started his career as a music and theater critic, but his passion for social issues and reform soon led him to writing plays. Shaw’s works are known for their wit, satire, and keen critique of social issues. Some of his most famous plays include “Pygmalion,” which later inspired the musical “My Fair Lady,” “Saint Joan,” and “Man and Superman.” He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1925 for his contributions to literature, and he remains one of the only people to have won both a Nobel Prize and an Academy Award (for the screenplay of “Pygmalion”). Shaw was deeply involved in politics and social reform, often using his plays to challenge societal norms and provoke thought. He was a co-founder of the London School of Economics and a lifelong advocate for socialism, women’s rights, and anti-war sentiments.

5 Interesting Facts about George Bernard Shaw

1. Shaw is one of the few people to have won both a Nobel Prize and an Academy Award.

2. He was a vegetarian and an advocate for animal rights.

3. Shaw refused all honors from the British government, including a knighthood and the Order of Merit.

4. His play “Pygmalion” was adapted into the highly successful musical “My Fair Lady.”

5. He was a co-founder of the London School of Economics.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from George Bernard Shaw

1. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

2. “A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”

3. “Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

4. “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.”

5. “You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?’”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

At the peak of his career, Shaw’s net worth was estimated to be around $5 million. Adjusted for inflation, this would be significantly higher in today’s terms.