Born: 26 March 1911 · Died: 24 February 1983 · Age at death: 71
How old was Tennessee Williams when he died?
Tennessee Williams died aged 71. He was born on 26 March 1911 and died on 24 February 1983.
American playwright who wrote A Streetcar Named Desire
Did you know?He chose his stage name as a tribute to his father's ancestry in the southern United States, having been born Thomas Lanier Williams.
Quick facts
Date of birth26 March 1911
Date of death24 February 1983
Age at death71
Cause of deathChoking
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceColumbus, United States
Occupationplaywright, novelist, screenwriter
Editor's Take:
Tennessee Williams wrote about people who cannot survive the world as it is. Blanche DuBois, Laura Wingfield and Maggie the Cat hide in fantasy, memory or desire. His lyrical style and southern settings changed American theatre. Many of his characters also hid their sexuality, as he once had to. His sister Rose's mental illness and lobotomy haunted him. His work often echoes her tragedy. His later plays were poorly received, but his best work is performed everywhere.
Key Milestones
1944: The Glass Menagerie premieres
1947: A Streetcar Named Desire premieres
1948: Wins his first Pulitzer Prize
1955: Wins a second Pulitzer for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Thomas Lanier "Tennessee" Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the three foremost playwrights of 20th-century American drama.
