National Biographer’s Day

Observed annually on May 16th, National Biographers Day is a holiday that commemorates biographers and the important work they do. Biographers provide us with a special glimpse into a specific person’s life, and what they write often becomes significant historical information.

This day is observed on this date because it is when the famous poet and essayist Samuel Johnson met James Boswell—his biographer. It is a good day to celebrate that biographer and all the biographers since then who keep the public informed about famous people, and sometimes just ordinary citizens.

The History of National Biographers Day

We’re unsure who or when this holiday was created, but we do know that it was established on the anniversary of the meeting between Samuel Johnson and his biographer James Boswell. We will continue to research the origins of this holiday, but until we do, we hope everyone enjoys the rest of this holiday article.

Some of the Greatest Biographies of All Time

Okay, now that we’ve covered the basics of this holiday, it’s time to turn our attention to some of the biographies that we think are the best of all time. The biographies below are the ones that we believe are quite good and probably should be read by everyone.

  • Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow.
  • Churchill: A Life by Martin Gilbert.
  • Mao: The Unknown Story by Jung Chang.
  • Savage Beauty: The Life of Edna St. Vincent Millay by Nancy Milford.
  • Unbroken: A WWII Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand.

Observing National Biographers Day

Go online to your favorite purveyor of books, or to a local library, and find a biography that you want to read. It could be about a poet, an author, a politician, or an artist.

It doesn’t matter as long as you’re personally invested in their personal story. While you’re reading this biography for National Biographers Day, don’t forget to use the hashtag #BiographersDay online to let everyone know what you’re reading.

When is it?
This year (2024)
May 16 Thursday
Next year (2025)
May 16 Friday
Last year (2023)
May 16 Tuesday
Topic
Education & Reading, Work & Occupation