H. G. Wells was born on 21 September 1866 in Bromley. An English writer, Wells was a pioneer of science fiction, publishing The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds within just a few years in the 1890s. He came from a poor family, studied biology under T. H. Huxley and began as a teacher before turning to writing. He also wrote realistic novels such as Kipps and Tono-Bungay, and the popular history The Outline of History. A socialist and member of the Fabian Society, he campaigned for a world state, scientific planning and social reform. A 1938 radio dramatization of The War of the Worlds by Orson Welles caused public alarm in the United States.
Before and after
- 28 July 1866Birth of Beatrix Potter
- 12 August 1866Birth of Jacinto Benavente
- from 18 August 1866 to 10 May 1871Unification of Germany
- September 1866Construction of Moscow Conservatory
- 21 September 1866Birth of H. G. Wells
- 12 October 1866Birth of Ramsay MacDonald
- 12 November 1866Birth of Sun Yat-sen
- 22 November 1866Birth of Wassily Kandinsky
- 1867Rise of Deobandi
More in Art, literature & culture
- 10 August 1793Construction of Louvre Museum
- 1 November 1800Construction of White House
- 1886Statue of Liberty
- 1894Radio
- c. 1900sRise of modernism
- 1907Rise of cubism
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.