Charles Dickens's Birthday
Next: February 7, 2027
Great expectations, happy returns.
The story
Where it comes from
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England, on 7 February 1812, and this Story marks his birthday. When he was 12 his father was jailed for debt and the boy was sent to work in a factory, an experience that shaped the lost and struggling children of his novels. He began as a journalist and became famous almost overnight with The Pickwick Papers in 1836. Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Bleak House and Great Expectations followed, and he is widely seen as the greatest English novelist of the Victorian era.
How it's celebrated
There is no formal observance, but readers mark his birthday by opening one of his books, perhaps a chapter of A Christmas Carol read aloud, or by watching one of the many film and stage versions of his stories. Schools and libraries use the day to introduce his characters, from Scrooge to Oliver, to a new generation.
Did you know
- A Christmas Carol was written in a few weeks in late 1843, and its first printing of 6,000 copies sold out by Christmas Eve.
- His stories were so easy to stage that at times 20 London theatres were showing adaptations of his latest work at once.
- In 1832 Dickens, who loved the theatre, very nearly became a professional actor.
Coming up next
- Jules Verne's Birthday · February 8, 2027
- Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Day) · February 9, 2027
- The Jumbo Jet's First Flight · February 9, 2027
- World Pulses Day · February 10, 2027
- International Day of Women and Girls in Science · February 11, 2027
- Darwin Day · February 12, 2027