1937 – 2005

Hunter S. Thompson

American journalist and author (1937–2005)

essayistautobiographernovelistjournalistpolitician

Born

1937-07-18, Louisville

Died

2005-02-20

Birthplace state

Kentucky

Biography

Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author, regarded as a pioneer of New Journalism along with Gay Talese, Truman Capote, Norman Mailer, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe. He rose to prominence with the book Hell's Angels (1967), for which he lived a year among the Hells Angels motorcycle club to write a first-hand account of their lives and experiences. In 1970, he wrote an unconventional article titled "The Kentucky Derby Is Decadent and Depraved" for Scanlan's Monthly, which further raised his profile as a countercultural figure. It also set him on the path to establish the subgenre of New Journalism that he called "Gonzo", a style in which the writer becomes central to, and participant in the narrative.

Occupation

Hunter S. Thompson is recorded as a essayist, a autobiographer, a novelist, a journalist, a politician, a reporter, a writer, a photographer and a screenwriter, born in Kentucky (1937–2005).

Connections to Kentucky

Hunter S. Thompson was born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1937. Explore other notable figures from Kentucky, historic sites connected to this era, and the full colonial and statehood history of the state using the links below.

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Geology

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Conflict & War

The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.

The Civil War

The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.

The Soldiers

The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.

Native Heritage

The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.

Settlement

Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.

The Community

How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.

Rivers & Rail

The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.

Notable People

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Historical Maps

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Finds & Access

Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.

Literature

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Spotlight

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Points of Interest

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More notable figures from Kentucky

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

Abraham Lincoln

president of the United States from 1861 to 1865 (1809-1865)

Muhammad Ali

American boxer (1942–2016)

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865 (1808–1889)

Thomas Hunt Morgan

American biologist (1866–1945)

D. W. Griffith

American filmmaker (1875–1948)

Jim Varney

American actor and comedian (1949–2000)

Patricia Neal

American stage and film actress (1926-2010)

Frequently asked about Hunter S. Thompson

Who was Hunter S. Thompson?

Hunter S. Thompson was American journalist and author (1937–2005), born in Kentucky (1937 – 2005).

When and where was Hunter S. Thompson born?

Hunter S. Thompson was born on 1937-07-18 in Louisville.

When did Hunter S. Thompson die?

Hunter died on 2005-02-20.

What was Hunter S. Thompson known for?

Hunter S. Thompson is recorded as a essayist, a autobiographer, a novelist, a journalist, a politician, a reporter, a writer, a photographer 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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