F. Scott Fitzgerald

September 24, 2025

Fast Facts
Background
Career Timeline
Why We Love
Surprising Facts
FAQs

F. Scott Fitzgerald, born September 24, 1896, was a novelist, screenwriter, essayist, and short-story writer, mostly known for his book “The Great Gatsby,” published in 1924. In the course of his career, he published four novels, four short story collections and wrote 164 stories. He gained a lot of critical acclaim for his books in the years following his death. Let’s celebrate this esteemed writer’s birthday right here!

Fast Facts

Full Name:

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald

Nickname:

Great American Dreamer

Birth date:

September 24, 1896

Death date:

December 21, 1940 (age 44)

Zodiac Sign:

Libra

Height:

5' 8"

Net Worth:

$11 million

Background

F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the many inspiring novelists, having written many stories that propelled the field of writing into popularity. The author was born Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald on September 24, 1896, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. His zodiac sign was Libra, and his ethnicity was English-Irish-American. He was the son of Mary McQuillan and Edward Fitzgerald.

After finishing high school, Fitzgerald joined Princeton University in 1913. He dropped out of university and joined the army during the First World War. His first novel, “This Side of Paradise,” told the tale of his time at Princeton University and his romance with Ginevra King and Zelda Sayre. Now a popular novelist, Fitzgerald began working on his second book, in 1921, called “The Beautiful and the Damned,” which was published a year later. He also published a collection of his short stories, called “Tales of the Jazz Age.” He moved to Europe in 1924, when he also published “The Great Gatsby,” which, although not a success at the time, became Fitzgerald’s most famous novel in the later years. After a brief stint in Hollywood as a screenwriter, Fitzgerald published his fourth and final book, “Tender is the Night” (1934). He returned to Hollywood in 1937, revising screenplays for films such as “Three Comrades” (1938).

The novelist married Zelda Sayre in 1920. They had a daughter, who was born a few months before Fitzgerald’s second novel was published. He was one of the most famous writers during the ‘Jazz Era’ in the United States, and many of his works were inspired by real-life issues, such as wealth inequality and his time as a societal outsider. Fitzgerald spent his final years with the columnist Sheilah Graham and passed away at the age of 44 while residing in California.

Career timeline

1920

Fitzgerald Publishes His First Book

The novel is titled “This Side of Paradise,” and becomes a cultural sensation upon its publishing.

1924

One of His Most Famous Novels

“The Great Gatsby,” which is inspired by the author’s real-life romance with Ginevra King, is published and takes years to become critically acclaimed.

1926

A Brief Stint in Hollywood

Fitzgerald goes to Hollywood as a screenwriter, but it lasts for a short time.

1934

His Last Novel

Fitzgerald publishes his final novel, “Tender is the Night,” whose plotline mirrors his wife’s mental diagnosis and the repercussions.

1937

Fitzgerald’s Return to Hollywood

The novelist returns to Hollywood, revising screenplays for films.

Why We Love F. Scott Fitzgerald

He was determined to be a writer
Fitzgerald harbored the dream to become a writer from a young age and fully intended to see it through. He faced many difficulties before his first novel got published, but never once did he give up the dream.
Fitzgerald cherished his friendships
The novelist was friends with many people in the field, and he cherished these companions with his whole heart. They helped him a lot when he was facing a tough time after his wife’s diagnosis, and even before that.
He has a great legacy
Fitzgerald left a great legacy behind. His books have inspired some talented writers of today, and the quotes he used in his work, which drew from his real-life experiences, have become classics.

5 Surprising Facts

He was named after a cousin
Fitzgerald’s distant cousin, Francis Scott Key, was the man behind the lyrics of the American National Anthem, ‘Star-Spangled Banner.’
His separation sent him to the army
Fitzgerald’s relationship with King was a romantic story for ages, and her family’s rejection of him prompted him to drop out of Princeton and join the Army during World War I.
He was great friends with Edmund Wilson
During his time at Princeton, the novelist became friends with literary critic Edmund Wilson, who later published Fitzgerald’s unfinished novel “The Last Tycoon,” in 1941.
His wife had schizophrenia
The novelist’s wife, Zelda, was diagnosed with schizophrenia sometime before Fitzgerald published his last novel “Tender is the Night.”
He was friends with Ernest Hemingway
When he lived in Europe in the 1920s, Fitzgerald became very good friends with fellow author Ernest Hemingway, who wrote “The Old Man and the Sea” in 1952.