Literature · Film · 1930–2008

Harold Pinter — Age & Birthday

Born: 10 October 1930 · Died: 24 December 2008 · Age at death: 78

How old was Harold Pinter when he died?

Harold Pinter died aged 78. He was born on 10 October 1930 and died on 24 December 2008.

English playwright of The Birthday Party and The Homecoming, famous for menacing pauses, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature

Did you know?He was a passionate cricket enthusiast and served as the chairman of the Gaieties Cricket Club for many years.

Quick facts

  • Date of birth10 October 1930
  • Date of death24 December 2008
  • Age at death78
  • Cause of deathLiver cancer
  • NationalityBritish
  • BirthplaceLondon, United Kingdom
  • Occupationplaywright, actor, film director

Editor's Take:

Harold Pinter made silence dramatic. He grew up in Hackney, the son of a Jewish tailor. He worked as an actor before writing plays. The Birthday Party and The Caretaker introduced his menacing, funny dialogue. His famous pauses gave English the word "Pinteresque". He also wrote screenplays, such as The French Lieutenant's Woman. In later life he was an outspoken political campaigner. He won the Nobel Prize in 2005.

Key Milestones

  1. 1958: Birthday Party – play
  2. 1960: The Caretaker – play
  3. 1965: The Homecoming – play
  4. 1978: Betrayal – play

Harold Pinter (10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was an English playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Literature, Pinter was one of the most influential modern dramatists of British theatre with a writing career that spanned more than 50 years.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Profile

Harold Pinter: The Master of the Pause

English playwright, 1930–2008

Harold Pinter was born in Hackney on 10 October 1930.

The Birthday Party opened in 1958.

The Caretaker followed in 1960.

He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2005.

Career highlights

  1. 1958Birthday Party: play
  2. 1960The Caretaker: play
  3. 1965The Homecoming: play
  4. 1978Betrayal: play
  5. 2005Nobel Prize: in Literature

Did you know?He was a conscientious objector who refused national service.

Age at death
78
Would be
96
Years since death
17

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Frequently asked questions

When is Harold Pinter's birthday?
Harold Pinter's birthday is October 10. He was born on October 10, 1930 in London, United Kingdom.
How old was Harold Pinter when he died?
Harold Pinter died on December 24, 2008, aged 78.
Who shares a birthday with Harold Pinter?
Famous people who share Harold Pinter's October 10 birthday include Fridtjof Nansen, Claude Simon, Naoto Kan, Henry Cavendish and Selim I.

Born on the same day6

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Fridtjof Nansen1861–1930

Fridtjof Nansen

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Claude Simon1913–2005

Claude Simon

LiteratureWould be 113
View profile Photo (modified): https://www.flickr.com/people/7313591@N02 Renaud Camus] from Plieux, France · CC BY 2.0
Naoto Kanb. 1946

Naoto Kan

PoliticsAge 80
View profile Photo (modified): Cabinet Public Affairs Office, Cabinet Secretariat · CC BY 4.0
Henry Cavendish1731–1810

Henry Cavendish

ScienceDied aged 78
View profile Photo (modified): George Wilson · Public domain
Selim I1470–1520

Selim I

RoyaltyDied aged 49
View profile Photo (modified): 16th century artist · Public domain
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Reviewed by the Who Shares My Birthday editorial team.

Last reviewed: October 2026