Origins & Early Life

Jacqueline Susann (August 20, 1918 – September 21, 1974) was an American novelist and actress. Her novel Valley of the Dolls (1966) is one of the best-selling books in publishing history. With her two subsequent works, The Love Machine (1969) and Once Is Not Enough (1973), Susann became the first author to have three novels top The New York Times Best Seller list consecutively. Jacqueline Susan was born on August 20, 1918, at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, the only child of a Jewish couple: Robert Susan, a Wilno, Imperial Russia (now Vilnius, Lithuania)-born portrait painter, and his wife, Rose (née Jans), a public school teacher.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

It was Rose who added the second "n" to her husband's surname in order to make pronunciation easier for her students; Robert Susan retained the original spelling. Because his surname was never legally changed, his daughter was born Jacqueline Susan, as confirmed in the 1920 and 1930 US census, and her father's record in the U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936–2007. Nevertheless, she used her mother's version of the family surname. As a child, her teachers reported that she was an inattentive but imaginative...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Abdul Hamid II — Contemporary (Died in 1918) (1918): Last effective Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, navigating decline and constitutional upheaval.
• Abraham Pais — Contemporary (Born in 1918) (1918): Pioneering physicist and acclaimed science historian of modern physics.
• Adolfo Pedernera — Contemporary (Born in 1918) (1918): Argentine football legend, nicknamed 'El Maestro,' pivotal in the 1940s.
• Adria Petty — Contemporary (Born in 1974) (1974): American director, editor, and artist known for music video work with Beyoncé.
• Alanis Morissette — Contemporary (Born in 1974) (1974): Iconic singer-songwriter known for raw emotion and confessional alt-rock anthems.
• Amy Adams — Contemporary (Born in 1974) (1974): Versatile American actress celebrated for both comedic timing and dramatic depth.
• Adolf von Baeyer — Shared historical date (08-20 · Died) (1917): Pioneering German chemist known for indigo synthesis and IUPAC nomenclature.
• Al-Juwayni — Shared historical date (08-20 · Died) (1085): Preeminent Sunni scholar, theologian, and jurist, foundational to the Shafi'i school.
• Allen Lane — Shared historical date (09-21 · Born) (1902): Pioneering British publisher who founded Penguin Books, bringing literature to the masses.
• Arthur Ashkin — Shared historical date (09-21 · Died) (2020): Pioneering physicist, recognized as the father of optical tweezers.
• 1918 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1918
• August 20 (08-20) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 20
• 1974 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1974
• September 21 (09-21) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on September 21