Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

David Benioff

Role / Field:

American novelist, screenwriter, and producer known for co-creating Game of Thrones.

Born:

1970-09-25

Century / Era:

1970s Historical Era

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Early Life

David Friedman (; born September 25, 1970), known professionally as David Benioff (), is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer. Along with his collaborator D. B. Weiss, he is best known for co-creating Game of Thrones (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

R. Martin's series of books, A Song of Ice and Fire. He also wrote 25th Hour (2002), Troy (2004), The Kite Runner (2007), City of Thieves (2008), co-wrote X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and Gemini Man (2019). Benioff was born David Friedman in New York City, the youngest of three children in a Jewish family with ancestral roots in Austria, Romania, Germany, Poland and Russia. He is the son of Barbara (née Benioff) and Stephen Friedman, a former head of Goldman Sachs.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He grew up in Manhattan, first in Peter Cooper Village, then on 86th Street where he spent most of his childhood, before eventually moving near the U.N. headquarters when he was 16. Benioff is an alumnus of Collegiate School and Dartmouth College. At Dartmouth he was a member of Phi Delta Alpha fraternity and the Sphinx Senior Society. After graduating in 1992 with a B.A. in English Literature, he had a number of jobs: for a time as...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abraham Maslow — Contemporary (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering American psychologist known for the Hierarchy of Needs and self-actualization theory.
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• Alf Prøysen — Contemporary (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering Norwegian cultural figure: author, songwriter, and poet.
• Abraham Gottlob Werner — Shared historical date (09-25 · Born) (1749): Pioneering German geologist, known for establishing early theories of Earth's crust.
• Ambrogio Spinola — Shared historical date (09-25 · Died) (1630): Italian-Spanish nobleman and general, renowned for his military prowess in the Spanish Empire.
• Alfonso Caso — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering Mexican archaeologist renowned for pre-Columbian studies.
• Alice Hamilton — Historical peer (Died in 1970) (1970): Pioneering toxicologist and advocate for occupational health and safety.
• Al Davis — Historical peer (Died in 2011) (2011): Pioneering NFL executive and coach, known for building the legendary Oakland Raiders.
• Amy Winehouse — Historical peer (Died in 2011) (2011): Iconic British soul artist blending jazz, R&B, and retro sounds.
• Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — Historical peer (Died in 2019) (2019): Iraqi militant leader and founder of the Islamic State (IS)
• 1970 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1970
• September 25 (09-25) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on September 25

Frequently Asked Questions about David Benioff