Origins & Early Life

Edward John Moreton Drax Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (; 24 July 1878 – 25 October 1957), commonly known as Lord Dunsany, was an Anglo-Irish writer and dramatist. He published more than 90 books during his lifetime, and his output consisted of hundreds of short stories, plays, novels, and essays; further works were published posthumously. Having gained a name in the 1910s as a writer in the English-speaking world, he is best known today for the 1924 fantasy novel The King of Elfland's Daughter, and his first book, The Gods of Pegāna, which depicts a fictional pantheon. Many critics feel his early work laid the grounds for the fantasy genre.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Born in London as heir to one of the oldest Irish peerages, he was raised partly in Kent, but later lived mainly at Dunsany Castle near Tara, Ireland. He worked with W. B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, and supported the Abbey Theatre and some fellow writers. He was a chess and pistol champion of Ireland, and travelled and hunted.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He devised an asymmetrical game called Dunsany's chess. In later life, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin. He settled in Shoreham, Kent, in 1947. In 1957 he took ill when visiting Ireland and died...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Benjamin Bonneville — Contemporary (Died in 1878) (1878): American explorer and U.S. Army officer famed for Western expeditions.
• Bill Robinson — Contemporary (Born in 1878) (1878): Pioneering tap dancer and entertainer whose career spanned American popular culture.
• Chen Jiongming — Contemporary (Born in 1878) (1878): Key Chinese statesman and federalist leader during the Warlord Era.
• Aga Khan III — Contemporary (Died in 1957) (1957): 48th Imam of the Nizari Isma'ili community and founder of the All-India Muslim League.
• Aliko Dangote — Contemporary (Born in 1957) (1957): Nigerian billionaire founder of Dangote Group, a major industrial conglomerate.
• Arturo Toscanini — Contemporary (Died in 1957) (1957): Intense Italian conductor, master of orchestral detail, and pivotal figure in 20th-century music.
• Albert Ellis — Shared historical date (07-24 · Died) (2007): Pioneering figure in psychotherapy, founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
• Alexandre Dumas — Shared historical date (07-24 · Born) (1802): Master of French adventure literature, famed for The Three Musketeers.
• Abebe Bikila — Shared historical date (10-25 · Died) (1973): Ethiopian Olympic marathon champion, known for his barefoot victories in Rome and Tokyo.
• Anne Tyler — Shared historical date (10-25 · Born) (1941): Acclaimed American novelist celebrated for detailed characters and domestic realism.
• 1878 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1878
• July 24 (07-24) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on July 24
• 1957 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1957
• October 25 (10-25) On This Day — Historical events and memorials on October 25