Born: 10 February 1775 · Died: 27 December 1834 · Age at death: 59
How old was Charles Lamb when he died?
Charles Lamb died aged 59. He was born on 10 February 1775 and died on 27 December 1834.
English essayist who wrote the Essays of Elia and co-wrote Tales from Shakespeare with his sister Mary
Did you know?He spent his entire adult life caring for his sister, Mary, after she killed their mother during a period of mental illness.
Quick facts
Date of birth10 February 1775
Date of death27 December 1834
Age at death59
Cause of deathErysipelas
NationalityBritish
BirthplaceLondon, United Kingdom
Occupationwriter, poet, playwright
Editor's Take:
Charles Lamb wrote some of the warmest and most personal essays in English. He grew up in London's Inner Temple and went to school at Christ's Hospital, where he became a lifelong friend of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He worked for more than 30 years as a clerk at the East India Company. In 1796 his sister Mary, in a fit of madness, killed their mother. Lamb took responsibility for her care for the rest of his life. Together they wrote Tales from Shakespeare, retelling the plays for children. Under the pen name Elia he published gentle, witty essays on everyday London life. They remain his best-loved work.
Key Milestones
1792: Begins 33 years as a clerk at East India House
1807: Publishes Tales from Shakespeare with Mary Lamb
1823: Publishes the collected Essays of Elia
1825: Retires from the East India Company
Charles Lamb (10 February 1775 – 27 December 1834) was an English essayist, poet and antiquarian, best known for his Essays of Elia and for the children's book Tales from Shakespeare, co-authored with his sister, Mary Lamb (1764–1847).
Charles Lamb's birthday is February 10. He was born on February 10, 1775 in London, United Kingdom.
How old was Charles Lamb when he died?
Charles Lamb died on December 27, 1834, aged 59.
Who shares a birthday with Charles Lamb?
Famous people who share Charles Lamb's February 10 birthday include Bertolt Brecht, Boris Pasternak, Harold Macmillan, Mia Khalifa and Peter III of Russia.
