The Beautiful and Damned

Born on September 24, 1896, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was named after his distant relative, the lyricist of "The Star-Spangled Banner." He attended Princeton University but left in 1917 to join the U. S. Army during World War I. While stationed in Alabama, he met Zelda Sayre, whom he married in 1920 following the success of his debut novel, This Side of Paradise. Fitzgerald's literary career flourished in the 1920s, a period he famously dubbed the "Jazz Age." His works, including The Beautiful and Damned and The Great Gatsby, explored themes of wealth, ambition, and the American Dream. Despite his early success, he faced personal challenges, including struggles with alcoholism and Zelda's mental health issues. In the 1930s, Fitzgerald moved to Hollywood to work as a screenwriter, seeking financial stability. During this time, he began an unfinished novel, The Last Tycoon, which was published posthumously. Fitzgerald died of a heart attack on December 21, 1940, at the age of 44, leaving behind a legacy as one of America's most celebrated writers.