Eugene O'Neill

Eugene O’Neill (1888–1953) was an American dramatist and the son of two actors. Before turning to writing, he worked as a secretary, gold prospector, and sailor. Following a health breakdown in 1912, he spent six months in a sanatorium, a period that strengthened his resolve to become a writer. His best-known plays include *Beyond the Horizon*, *Mourning Becomes Electra*, *The Iceman Cometh*, and *Long Day’s Journey into Night*. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1936.