Romain Gary - Diplomats, Birthday and Childhood
Romain Gary's Personal Details
Romain Gary was a French diplomat, novelist and a World War II pilot
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | May 21, 1914 |
| Died on | December 2, 1980 |
| Nationality | French |
| Famous | Film & Theater Personalities, Directors, Musicians, Novelists, Diplomats |
| Spouses | Jean Seberg |
| Known as | Roman Kacew |
| Childrens | Alexandre Diego Gary, Nina Hart Gary |
| Cause of death |
|
| Birth Place | Vilnius |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Gender | Male |
| Father | Arieh-Leib Kacew |
| Mother | Mina Owczyńska |
| Sun Sign | Taurus |
| Born in | Vilnius |
| Famous as | Diplomat |
| Died at Age | 66 |
// Famous Diplomats
Gertrude Bell
Gertrude Bell was an English writer and diplomat, who was highly influential in helping the British Empire exert its dominance in the Middle East. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her
Stephen Lewis
Stephen Lewis is a Canadian politician, broadcaster, diplomat and professor. This biography profiles his childhood, career, works, life, achievements and timeline.
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian politician, historian and philosopher who is widely known as a founder of modern political science.
Romain Gary's photo
Who is Romain Gary?
Romain Gary was one of France’s most original writers, known for authoring novels under various nom de plumes. After training as an aviator, he served in the French Air Force, but fled to England during World War II. His stint of 25 successful sorties while working for Free French Forces won him a number of bravery honors and medals. It was during this time that he started writing, alongside working as a French diplomat in Bulgaria and Switzerland, before moving to the US. Here, he took up writing full-time and went on to become an excellent storyteller through his much-acclaimed novels and essays. During his entire 35-year literary career, he is said to have written over 30 novels, essays and memoirs, in English and French, under four different pseudonyms, though he is believed to have used a couple more, like Rene Deville and John Markham Beach. This prolific novelist authored some highly popular novels, including ‘Le Grand Vestiaire’, ‘La Promesse de l’aube’, ‘La Danse de Gengis Cohn’, ‘Clair de femme’, and ‘Pseudo’. He is credited for being the only person to be awarded the French literary prize Prix Goncourt twice, for ‘Les racines du ciel’ under his original name and ‘La vie devant soi’ under his pseudonym Emile Ajar.
// Famous Musicians
Ted Nugent
Ted Nugent is a hard rock musician known for his hits ‘Stranglehold’ and ‘Cat Scratch Fever’. This biography of Ted Nugent provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Muddy Waters
Muddy Waters was a blues musician referred to as the 'father of modern Chicago blues.' Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Travis Bacon
Travis Bacon is an American musician and actor, better known as the son of veteran actors Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick. Find more about his family, birthday, etc.
Childhood & Early Life
Romain Gary was born as Roman Kacew on May 21st, 1914, in Russian Vilna (now Vilnius, Lithuania), into a Jewish family, to businessman Arieh-Leib Kacew and Litvak actress Mina Owczynska.
He got fluent in Russian, Yiddish, Polish, and German as a child. After his father abandoned his family, her mother took him to places across Europe before finally settling in Nice, France, in 1928, where he learnt French at school.
He changed his name to Romain and became a French citizen in 1935. Later in 1940, he adopted the full name ‘Romain Gary’.
He studied law at Aix-en-Provence and later in Paris, graduating in 1938. He then took up pilot training with the French Air Force at Salon-de-Provence and Avord Air Base.
Career
When France was occupied by the Germans during World War II, he escaped to Casablanca, via Algiers, in a two-seater plane and further sailed by sea to England via Gibraltar.
He joined the Free French Forces as a flying officer, serving in Africa, Egypt, Syria and Europe. In 1943, he participated in 25 sorties to drop high explosives on targets, during which he was badly injured.
He completed his first novel and published it in English. It was titled ‘Forest of Anger’, which was later translated in French and released as ‘L’Education europeenne’ in 1945.
He authored novels that combined humor with tragedy and faith with suspicion, such as ‘Tulipe’ (1946), ‘Les Couleurs du jour’ (1952, The Colors of the Day), and ‘La Danse de Gengis Cohn’ (1967, The Dance of Genghis Cohn).
After the war ended, he took up French diplomatic service in Bulgaria in 1947, from where he was transferred to Switzerland.
His novel ‘Le Grand Vestiaire’ (The Company of Men) released in 1949 and became a best-seller in the United States, but it went unnoticed in France.
He served as the secretary of the French delegation at the United Nations from 1952-56, after which he moved to Los Angeles as Consul General.
Some of his popular novels include ‘Lady L’ (1958), ‘La Promesse de l’aube’ (1960, Promise at Dawn), ‘Clair de femme’ (1977, The Light of a Woman), and ‘Les Cerf-volants’ (1980, The Kites).
He created a fictional younger man to move with the modern times in the 1970s to kill his wrinkled and worn-out identity, thereby inventing Emile Ajar, a pseudonym under which he helmed a few books, like ‘Gros calin’ (1974) and ‘Pseudo’ (1976).
He took up two more pennames, Fosco Sinibaldi and Shatan Bogat, under which he authored two novels, namely, ‘L’homme a la colombe’ (1958) and ‘Les tetes de Stephanie’ (1974), respectively.
Apart from writing novels, he forayed into filmmaking as well, directing two movies ‘Les oiseaux vont mourir au Perou’ (1968) and ‘Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!’ (1971). His second wife Jean Seberg played the lead role in the latter.
He is credited for writing the screenplay for two motion pictures - ‘The Roots of Heaven’ (1958), based on his award-winning novel ‘Les Racines du ciel’, and ‘The Longest Day’ (1962).
Major Works
In 1956, he published his award-winning novel ‘Les racines du ciel’ (The Roots of Heaven), which was honored with Prix Goncourt by the Academie Goncourt.
He became the only person to win a second Prix Goncourt for his 1975 novel ‘La Vie devant soi’ (The Life Beyond Us), under the penname Emile Ajar, even though an author is allowed to receive the award only once.
Awards & Achievements
He was awarded with the Compagnon de la Liberation and Croix de Guerre for his brave services during World War II. He was honored as the commander of the Legion d’honneur as well.
He served as a jury member at the 15th Cannes Film Festival, in 1962, and at the 29th Berlin International Film Festival, in 1979.
Personal Life & Legacy
He married Lesley Blanch, an English writer, journalist and editor of Vogue magazine, in 1944. The couple divorced in 1961.
In 1962, he married Jean Seberg, an American actress known for ‘Bonjour Tristesse’ and ‘Breathless’. The couple had a son, Alexandre Diego Gary. The two divorced in 1970.
He shot himself and committed suicide on December 2, 1980, at his Paris apartment, leaving a letter which disclosed that he was Emile Ajar.
His last rites were performed at Pere Lachaise Cemetery, after which his ashes were drowned in the Mediterranean Sea close to Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
// Famous Film & Theater Personalities
Jacob Elordi
Jacob Elordi is an Australian actor. Let’s take a look at his childhood, family, personal life, career, etc.
Wentworth Miller
Wentworth Miller is an American actor and screenwriter who achieved recognition for his role in the TV series ‘Prison Break’.
Skai Jackson
Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.
Romain Gary's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Other | ||
| 0 | Prix Goncourt | |
Romain Gary biography timelines
- // 21st May 1914Romain Gary was born as Roman Kacew on May 21st, 1914, in Russian Vilna (now Vilnius, Lithuania), into a Jewish family, to businessman Arieh-Leib Kacew and Litvak actress Mina Owczynska.
- // 1928He got fluent in Russian, Yiddish, Polish, and German as a child. After his father abandoned his family, her mother took him to places across Europe before finally settling in Nice, France, in 1928, where he learnt French at school.
- // 1935 To 1940He changed his name to Romain and became a French citizen in 1935. Later in 1940, he adopted the full name ‘Romain Gary’.
- // 1938He studied law at Aix-en-Provence and later in Paris, graduating in 1938. He then took up pilot training with the French Air Force at Salon-de-Provence and Avord Air Base.
- // 1943He joined the Free French Forces as a flying officer, serving in Africa, Egypt, Syria and Europe. In 1943, he participated in 25 sorties to drop high explosives on targets, during which he was badly injured.
- // 1944 To 1961He married Lesley Blanch, an English writer, journalist and editor of Vogue magazine, in 1944. The couple divorced in 1961.
- // 1945He completed his first novel and published it in English. It was titled ‘Forest of Anger’, which was later translated in French and released as ‘L’Education europeenne’ in 1945.
- // 1946 To 1967He authored novels that combined humor with tragedy and faith with suspicion, such as ‘Tulipe’ (1946), ‘Les Couleurs du jour’ (1952, The Colors of the Day), and ‘La Danse de Gengis Cohn’ (1967, The Dance of Genghis Cohn).
- // 1947After the war ended, he took up French diplomatic service in Bulgaria in 1947, from where he was transferred to Switzerland.
- // 1949His novel ‘Le Grand Vestiaire’ (The Company of Men) released in 1949 and became a best-seller in the United States, but it went unnoticed in France.
- // 1952 To 1956He served as the secretary of the French delegation at the United Nations from 1952-56, after which he moved to Los Angeles as Consul General.
- // 1956In 1956, he published his award-winning novel ‘Les racines du ciel’ (The Roots of Heaven), which was honored with Prix Goncourt by the Academie Goncourt.
- // 1958 To 1980Some of his popular novels include ‘Lady L’ (1958), ‘La Promesse de l’aube’ (1960, Promise at Dawn), ‘Clair de femme’ (1977, The Light of a Woman), and ‘Les Cerf-volants’ (1980, The Kites).
- // 1958 To 1974He took up two more pennames, Fosco Sinibaldi and Shatan Bogat, under which he authored two novels, namely, ‘L’homme a la colombe’ (1958) and ‘Les tetes de Stephanie’ (1974), respectively.
- // 1958 To 1962He is credited for writing the screenplay for two motion pictures - ‘The Roots of Heaven’ (1958), based on his award-winning novel ‘Les Racines du ciel’, and ‘The Longest Day’ (1962).
- // 1962 To 1979He served as a jury member at the 15th Cannes Film Festival, in 1962, and at the 29th Berlin International Film Festival, in 1979.
- // 1962 To 1970In 1962, he married Jean Seberg, an American actress known for ‘Bonjour Tristesse’ and ‘Breathless’. The couple had a son, Alexandre Diego Gary. The two divorced in 1970.
- // 1968 To 1971Apart from writing novels, he forayed into filmmaking as well, directing two movies ‘Les oiseaux vont mourir au Perou’ (1968) and ‘Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!’ (1971). His second wife Jean Seberg played the lead role in the latter.
- // 1974 To 1976He created a fictional younger man to move with the modern times in the 1970s to kill his wrinkled and worn-out identity, thereby inventing Emile Ajar, a pseudonym under which he helmed a few books, like ‘Gros calin’ (1974) and ‘Pseudo’ (1976).
- // 1975He became the only person to win a second Prix Goncourt for his 1975 novel ‘La Vie devant soi’ (The Life Beyond Us), under the penname Emile Ajar, even though an author is allowed to receive the award only once.
- // 2nd Dec 1980He shot himself and committed suicide on December 2, 1980, at his Paris apartment, leaving a letter which disclosed that he was Emile Ajar.
// Famous Directors
Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner is an American actor, director and singer who is best known for his portrayal of rugged individuals with complex emotions. This biography provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline
Michel Qissi
Michel Qissi is a Moroccan-Belgian actor known for his role in the martial arts flick ‘Kickboxer.’ Check out this biography to know about his childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about him.
Susan Sontag
Susan Sontag is an American critical essayist, cultural analyst, novelist, political activist, filmmaker and playwright of international repute. Read on to find out more about her childhood, career, profile and timeline.
Alfonso Ribeiro
Alfonso Lincoln Ribeiro Sr. is an American actor, show host, dancer and television director. This biography profiles his childhood, family, personal life, career etc.
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is a famous Hollywood director renowned for his movies such as ‘E.T.’, ‘Jurassic Park’ and ‘War of the Worlds’. To know more about his childhood, career, profile and timeline read on
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a famous Swedish actor, film-maker, screenwriter and martial artist. This biography offers detailed information about his childhood, family, personal life, etc.
Romain Gary's FAQ
What is Romain Gary birthday?
Romain Gary was born at 1914-05-21
When was Romain Gary died?
Romain Gary was died at 1980-12-02
Where was Romain Gary died?
Romain Gary was died in Paris
Which age was Romain Gary died?
Romain Gary was died at age 66
Where is Romain Gary's birth place?
Romain Gary was born in Vilnius
What is Romain Gary nationalities?
Romain Gary's nationalities is French
Who is Romain Gary spouses?
Romain Gary's spouses is Jean Seberg
Who is Romain Gary childrens?
Romain Gary's childrens is Alexandre Diego Gary, Nina Hart Gary
What is Romain Gary's cause of dead?
Romain Gary dead because of Suicide
What is Romain Gary's religion?
Romain Gary's religion is Judaism
Who is Romain Gary's father?
Romain Gary's father is Arieh-Leib Kacew
Who is Romain Gary's mother?
Romain Gary's mother is Mina Owczyńska
What is Romain Gary's sun sign?
Romain Gary is Taurus
How famous is Romain Gary?
Romain Gary is famouse as Diplomat