1878 – 1937

Don Marquis

American humorist

humoristfilm directorjournalistplaywrightpoet

Born

1878-07-29, Illinois

Died

1937-12-29

Birthplace state

Illinois

Biography

Don Marquis was born in Illinois in 1878 and worked as a humorist, journalist, novelist, poet, newspaper columnist, and playwright. He created the characters Archy and Mehitabel, with Archy presented as a supposed author of humorous verse, and also invented "the Old Soak," a character that appeared in two books, a Broadway play staged in 1922–23, a silent film from 1926, and a talking picture from 1937. Marquis died in 1937.

Occupation

Don Marquis is recorded as a humorist, a film director, a journalist, a playwright, a poet, a writer and a screenwriter, born in Illinois (1878–1937).

Connections to Illinois

Don Marquis was born in Illinois, Illinois in 1878. Explore other notable figures from Illinois, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

Other notable figures from Illinois›Illinoishistory ›Historic sites in Illinois›

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Native Heritage

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More notable figures from Illinois

Other historical figures born in Illinois, ranked by historical prominence.

Ronald Reagan

president of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and actor (1911-2004)

Walt Disney

American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)

Ernest Hemingway

American author and journalist (1899–1961)

Robin Williams

American actor and comedian (1951–2014)

Ray Bradbury

American author and screenwriter (1920–2012)

Bobby Fischer

American chess player (1943–2008)

James Watson

American molecular biologist, geneticist, zoologist and Nobel Laureate (1928–2025)

Frequently asked about Don Marquis

Who was Don Marquis?

Don Marquis was American humorist, born in Illinois (1878 – 1937).

When and where was Don Marquis born?

Don Marquis was born on 1878-07-29 in Illinois.

When did Don Marquis die?

Don died on 1937-12-29.

What was Don Marquis known for?

Don Marquis is recorded as a humorist, a film director, a journalist, a playwright, a poet, a writer and a screenwriter.

Source

Biographical content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Source: Wikipedia.

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