John steinbeck biography timeline projects
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John Steinbeck, American Writer
by Dr. Susan Shillinglaw
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John Steinbeck was born in the farming town of Salinas, California on 27 February His father, John Ernst Steinbeck, was not a terribly successful man; at one time or another he was the manager of a Sperry flour plant, the owner of a feed and grain store, the treasurer of Monterey County. His mother, the strong-willed Olive Hamilton Steinbeck, was a former teacher. As a child growing up in the fertile Salinas Valley —called the "Salad Bowl of the Nation" — Steinbeck formed a deep appreciation of his environment, not only the rich fields and hills surrounding Salinas, but also the nearby Pacific coast where his family spent summer weekends. "I remember my childhood names for grasses and secret flowers," he wrote in the opening chapter of East of Eden. "I remember where a toad may live and what time the birds awaken in the summer-and what trees and seasons smelled like."
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High School Graduation
- John Steinbeck is born in their Salinas, California home. He was the third child and the only son. His mother was a school teacher and his father was a county treasurer
- From to he graduated from Salinas High School, attended classes at Stanford University for six years and left without a degree. Afterwards he had jobs like sales clerk, ranch worker, factory worker, stuff like that.
- Moves to New York City. He worked as a construction worker while he wrote. No one wanted to publish his work, so he returned to California.
- Finally his first novel, Cup of Gold was published.
- Steinbeck marries julsång Henning. Moves to Las Angeles, then to a family home in Pacific Grove. He became great friends with Ed Ricketts who was a marine biologist, an ecologist and philosopher. He also influenced Steinbeck to write The Sea of Cortez which was later published as The Log from the Sea of Cortez.
- Steinbeck's mother die
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John Steinbeck Timeline
January 11– John and Elaine vacation in Caneel Bay.
March–July: Steinbeck drafts the final versions of The Winter of Our Discontent.
May 1: While conducting a reconnaissance mission for the CIA, Francis Gary Powers’ U-2 is shot down over the Soviet Union.
September 23–November: Steinbeck tours the United States with his poodle, Charley.
January Steinbeck and Elaine attend President Kennedy’s inaugural address with John Kenneth Galbraith and his wife.
February Steinbeck is in the British West Indies. (Dates of travel are unknown, but the source notes Steinbeck was here during this period.)
February Steinbeck is in Barbados. (Dates of actual travel are unknown, but the source denotes Steinbeck was here during this period.)
March: “Conversation at Sag Harbor” is published in Holiday Magazine’s March edition.
March–April: John travels to San Diego to perform duties for the Mohole Expedition. The team plans to drill a 12,foot hole off the coast of M