Fun Facts About Roald Dahl
- Roald Dahl wrote the screenplays for the James Bond film You Only Live Twice and for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, both based on novels by Ian Fleming.[1]
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was inspired by Dahl's school days, when Cadbury sent boxes of new chocolates to his school for pupils to test.[1]
- After his baby son was hit by a taxi, Dahl helped invent the Wade-Dahl-Till valve, a medical shunt device used successfully on almost 3,000 children.[1]
- During World War II, Dahl supplied intelligence from Washington to Prime Minister Winston Churchill.[1][3][4]
- At eight, Dahl was caned for putting a dead mouse in a sweet shop's jar of gobstoppers, and the shop's owner, Mrs Pratchett, inspired Miss Trunchbull in Matilda.[1]
- Dahl's first children's book, The Gremlins, was commissioned by Walt Disney for a film that was never made.[1][5][6]
- Roald Dahl was alive at the same time as Taylor Swift — their lives overlapped for 1 year (1989–1990).[1][2][7][8]
- Roald Dahl lived to about 74, from 1916 until 1990.[1][2]
Roald Dahl was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. He has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century".[1]
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Questions About Roald Dahl
When was Roald Dahl born?
Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916, and died on November 23, 1990.
How old was Roald Dahl at death?
Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916, and died on November 23, 1990, at age 74.
What was Roald Dahl known for?
Roald Dahl was known for: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl was a British author of popular children's literature and short stories, a poet, screenwriter and a wartime fighter ace. His books have sold more than 300 million copies worldwide. He has been called "one of the greatest storytellers for children of the 20th century".
Who was alive at the same time as Roald Dahl?
Roald Dahl's closest contemporary was Bob Hope. Their lives overlapped for 74 years.
Sources
- Roald Dahl — Wikipedia. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Roald Dahl (Q25161) — Wikidata
- Winston Churchill — Wikipedia
- Winston Churchill (Q8016) — Wikidata
- Walt Disney — Wikipedia
- Walt Disney (Q8704) — Wikidata
- Taylor Swift — Wikipedia
- Taylor Swift (Q26876) — Wikidata
- Portrait: Roald Dahl.jpg — Wikimedia Commons. Carl Van Vechten, Public domain