Irving Stone (July 14, 1903 – August 26, 1989) was an American writer known for his biographical novels of famous historical personalities. July 14 is the 195th day (196th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 170 days remaining. ... 1903 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term writer can apply to anyone who creates a written work, but the word more usually designates those who write creatively or professionally, or those who have written in many different forms. ... Sir Thomas Malory wrote the most famous fictional biography of the Middle Ages with Le Morte dArthur about the life of King Arthur. ... A novel is an extended work of written, narrative, prose fiction, usually in story form; the writer of a novel is a novelist. ... History is often used as a generic term for information about the past, such as in geologic history of the Earth. When used as the name of a field of study, history refers to the study and interpretation of the record of human societies. ...

Some of Stone's important works in this category include:

• Lust for Life (1934) - based on the life of Vincent van Gogh
• Adversary in the House (1947) - based on the life of Eugene V. Debs
• Love is Eternal (historical novel - 1954) - based on the marriage of Abraham Lincoln and Mary Todd
• The Agony and the Ecstasy - (1961) - based on the life of Michelangelo
• The Passions of the Mind (1971) - based on the life of Sigmund Freud
• Greek Treasure - (1975) based on the discovery of Troy by Heinrich Schliemann
• Origin (1980) - based on the life of Charles Darwin
• For the Defense - based on the life of Clarence Darrow
• Those Who Love - based on the life of John Adams
• Sailor on Horseback - based on the life of Jack London.

In the 1950s, a popular film version was made of Lust for Life, based on Stone's 1934 novel, starring Kirk Douglas as Van Gogh. Lust for Life is a biographical novel written by Irving Stone and is based on the life of the famous dutch painter, Vincent van Gogh. ... Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853–July 29, 1890) was a Dutch painter, classified as a Post-Impressionist. ... Eugene Victor Debs (November 5, 1855 – October 20, 1926) was an American labor and political leader, one of the founders of the international labor union the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) and five-time Socialist Party of America candidate for President of the United States. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ... Mary Todd Lincoln Mary Ann Todd (December 13, 1818 - July 16, 1882) was born in Lexington, Kentucky, the daughter of prominent residents of the city, Robert Smith Todd and Eliza Parker. ... The Agony and the Ecstasy is a biographical novel about Michelangelo Buonarroti written by Irving Stone. ... Chalk portrait of Michelangelo by Daniele da Volterra Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (March 6, 1475 – February 18, 1564), commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect and poet. ... Sigmund Freud, around 1921 Sigmund Freud (IPA: []) (May 6, 1856 – September 23, 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of the psychoanalytic school of psychology. ... Portrait of Heinrich Schliemann. ... In his lifetime Charles Darwin gained international fame as an influential scientist examining controversial topics: portrait by Julia Margaret Cameron. ... Clarence Seward Darrow ca. ... John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was the first (1789–1797) Vice President of the United States, and the second President of the United States, whose term lasted from 1797 to 1801. ... Photograph of Jack London. ... The 1950s were the decade that spanned the years 1950 through 1959, although some sources say from 1951 through 1960. ... Lust for Life is a 1956 film by Norman Corwin adapted from a biographical novel of the life of Vincent Van Gogh, by writer Irving Stone, first published in 1934. ... 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... President Jimmy Carter greets Kirk and Mrs Douglas in the Oval Office, March 16, 1978. ...

Stone's main source for Lust for Life, as noted in the afterword, was Van Gogh's letters to his brother Theo. It seems probable that Eugene Debs' letters to and from his own brother Theo provided a foundation for Adversary in the House. Stone additionally did much of his research "in the field". For example, he spent many years living in Italy while working on The Agony and the Ecstasy. The Italian government lauded Stone with several honorary awards during this period for his cultural achievements highlighting Italian history. When at home, Stone relied upon the research facilities and expertise made available to him by Esther Euler, head reaseach librarian of the University of California at Los Angeles, to whom he dedicated and thanked, in addition to many others, in several of his works. Research is often described as an active, diligent, and systematic process of inquiry aimed at discovering, interpreting and revising facts. ... The Agony and the Ecstasy is a biographical novel about Michelangelo Buonarroti written by Irving Stone. ... An award is something given to a person or group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field. ... The Librarian, a 1556 painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo A librarian is a person who develops procedures for organizing information and provides services which assist and instruct people in the most efficient and effective ways to identify, locate, access, and use information and resources (articles, books, magazines, etc. ... The University of California, Los Angeles, popularly known as UCLA, is a public, coeducational university situated in the neighborhood of Westwood within the city of Los Angeles. ...

In the 1960s, Stone received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Southern California, where he had previously earned a Masters Degree from the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... The University of Southern California (also known as USC, SC, Southern California and Southern Cal), located in the urban center of Los Angeles, California, was founded in 1880, making it Californias oldest private research university. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ...

Stone enjoyed a long marriage to his wife and editor on many of his works, Jean Stone. The Stones lived primarily in Los Angeles, California. During their lifetime, Stone and his wife funded a foundation to support charitable causes they believed in. A marriage is a committed relationship between or among individuals, recognized by civil authority and/or bound by the religious beliefs of the participants. ... An Editor is a person who prepares text—typically language, but also images and sounds—for publication by correcting, condensing, or otherwise modifying it. ... This article is about the largest city in California. ... A Foundation is a type of philanthropic organization set up by either individuals or institutions as a legal entity (either as a corporation or trust) with the purpose of distributing grants to support causes in line with the goals of the foundation. ...

External links

• 1985 Audio Interview of Irving Stone - RealAudio