Origins & Early Life

Dame Jean Iris Murdoch ( MUR-dok; 15 July 1919 – 8 February 1999) was an Irish and British novelist and philosopher. Murdoch is best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious. Her first published novel, Under the Net (1954), was selected in 1998 as one of Modern Library's 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. Her 1978 novel The Sea, The Sea won the Booker Prize.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

In 1987, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for services to literature. In 2008, The Times ranked Murdoch twelfth on a list of "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945". Her other books include The Bell (1958), A Severed Head (1961), An Unofficial Rose (1962), The Red and the Green (1965), The Nice and the Good (1968), The Black Prince (1973), Henry and Cato (1976), The Philosopher's Pupil (1983), The Good Apprentice (1985), The Book and the Brotherhood (1987), The Message to the Planet (1989), and The Green Knight (1993). As a philosopher, Murdoch's best-known work is The Sovereignty of Good (1970). She was married for 43 years, until her death, to the literary critic and author John Bayley.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Murdoch was born in Phibsborough...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Akashi Motojiro — Contemporary (Died in 1919) (1919): General in the Imperial Japanese Army and Governor-General of Taiwan.
• Andrew Carnegie — Contemporary (Died in 1919) (1919): Scottish-American industrialist who pioneered the American steel industry and became a major philanthropist.
• Beate Uhse-Rotermund — Contemporary (Born in 1919) (1919): Pioneering German pilot and influential founder of the modern sex shop industry.
• Akio Morita — Contemporary (Died in 1999) (1999): Visionary Japanese entrepreneur and co-founder of Sony.
• Ali Sayad Shirazi — Contemporary (Died in 1999) (1999): Key Iranian military commander during the Iran-Iraq War, assassinated in 1999.
• Anthony Newley — Contemporary (Died in 1999) (1999): Versatile English performer, celebrated for his songwriting and stage presence.
• Annibale Carracci — Shared historical date (07-15 · Died) (1609): Pioneering Bolognese Baroque painter, founder of a classical style in Rome.
• Anton Chekhov — Shared historical date (07-15 · Died) (1904): Master of Russian literature, celebrated for poignant realism and subtle drama.
• Amelia Bence — Shared historical date (02-08 · Died) (2016): Argentine film actress, a celebrated diva of the Golden Age of Argentine cinema.
• Baldassare Castiglione — Shared historical date (02-08 · Died) (1529): Influential Renaissance author and courtier, known for 'The Book of the Courtier'.
• 1919 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1919
• July 15 (07-15) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 15
• 1999 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1999
• February 8 (02-08) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on February 8