Lorraine Hansberry
1930 – 1965

Lorraine Hansberry

African-American playwright and author (1930-1965)

activisttheatre directorplaywrightwriterscreenwriter
Born
1930-05-19, Chicago
Died
1965-01-12
Birthplace state
Illinois

Biography

Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago in 1930 and died in 1965. She worked as a playwright, writer, screenwriter, theatre director, and activist. She was the first Black American female author to have a play performed on Broadway.

Occupation

Lorraine Hansberry is recorded as a activist, a theatre director, a playwright, a writer and a screenwriter, born in Illinois (1930–1965).

Connections to Illinois

Lorraine Hansberry was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1930. 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.

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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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Literature
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More notable figures from Illinois

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

Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
president of the United States from 1981 to 1989 and actor (1911-2004)
Walt Disney
Walt Disney
American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
American author and journalist (1899–1961)
Robin Williams
Robin Williams
American actor and comedian (1951–2014)
Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
American author and screenwriter (1920–2012)
Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer
American chess player (1943–2008)
James Watson
James Watson
American molecular biologist, geneticist, zoologist and Nobel Laureate (1928–2025)

Frequently asked about Lorraine Hansberry

Who was Lorraine Hansberry?
Lorraine Hansberry was African-American playwright and author (1930-1965), born in Illinois (1930 – 1965).
When and where was Lorraine Hansberry born?
Lorraine Hansberry was born on 1930-05-19 in Chicago.
When did Lorraine Hansberry die?
Lorraine died on 1965-01-12.
What was Lorraine Hansberry known for?
Lorraine Hansberry is recorded as a activist, a theatre director, a playwright, 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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