Born: 12 January 1876 · Died: 22 November 1916 · Age at death: 40
How old was Jack London when he died?
Jack London died aged 40. He was born on 12 January 1876 and died on 22 November 1916.
American adventure writer of The Call of the Wild and White Fang, inspired by his time in the Klondike Gold Rush
Did you know?He was one of the first writers to become a worldwide celebrity and earn a fortune through his fiction.
Quick facts
Date of birth12 January 1876
Date of death22 November 1916
Age at death40
Cause of deathPoisoning, uremia
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceSan Francisco, United States
Occupationwriter, journalist, novelist
Editor's Take:
Jack London lived the adventures he wrote about. Before he was 21 he had worked as an oyster pirate, sailor and tramp, and had joined the Klondike Gold Rush. Those experiences fed stories of survival in which nature is beautiful and merciless. The Call of the Wild made him rich and famous almost overnight. His work still draws readers to the raw edges of human and animal life.
Key Milestones
1897: Klondike – gold rush
1903: The Call of the Wild – novel
1904: The Sea-Wolf – novel
1906: White Fang – novel
John Griffith London (né Chaney; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist.