Origins & Early Life

Lois Ann Lowry (; née Hammersberg; born March 20, 1937) is an American writer. She is the author of many books for children and young adults, including The Giver Quartet, Number the Stars, the Anastasia series, and Rabble Starkey. She is known for writing about difficult subject matter, dystopias, and complex themes in works for young audiences. Lowry has won two Newbery Medals: for Number the Stars in 1990 and The Giver in 1994.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Her book Gooney Bird Greene won the 2002 Rhode Island Children's Book Award. Many of her books have been challenged or even banned in some schools and libraries. The Giver, which is common in the curricula in some schools, has been prohibited in others. Lowry was born on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, to Katherine Gordon Landis and Robert E. Hammersberg.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Her maternal grandfather, Merkel Landis, a banker, created the Christmas Club savings program in 1910. Initially, Lowry's parents named her "Cena" for her Norwegian grandmother, but upon hearing the news, her grandmother telegraphed and instructed Lowry's parents that the child should have an American name. Lowry was the middle child. She had an older sister named Helen and a younger...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alain Badiou — Contemporary (Born in 1937) (1937): Influential French philosopher known for 'Being and Event' and universalism.
• Andrew Mellon — Contemporary (Died in 1937) (1937): American banker, industrialist, and politician who served as Secretary of the Treasury.
• Anthony Hopkins — Contemporary (Born in 1937) (1937): Esteemed Welsh actor celebrated for powerful stage and screen performances.
• Alex Gorsky — Shared historical date (03-20 · Born) (1960): American businessman, former Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson.
• B. F. Skinner — Shared historical date (03-20 · Born) (1904): Pioneering behaviorist who developed operant conditioning and radical behaviorism.
• Antonio Gramsci — Historical peer (Died in 1937) (1937): Italian Marxist philosopher known for his theory of cultural hegemony.
• Austen Chamberlain — Historical peer (Died in 1937) (1937): Influential British statesman, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and key figure in early 20th-century politics.
• A. J. P. Taylor — Historical peer (Died in 1990) (1990): Influential English historian specializing in 19th and 20th-century European diplomacy.
• Aaron Copland — Historical peer (Died in 1990) (1990): Pioneering American composer, conductor, and critic, known as the "Dean of American Music".
• Alexia Putellas — Historical peer (Born in 1994) (1994): One of the greatest female footballers, known for her midfield brilliance and success with Barcelona and Spain.
• 1937 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1937
• March 20 (03-20) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on March 20