George Orwell: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Oct. 30, 2026

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Facts

Also Known As	Eric Arthur Blair
Born	June 25, 1903 • Motihari • India
Died	January 21, 1950 (aged 46) • London • England
Awards And Honors	Hugo Award
Notable Works	“A Clergyman’s Daughter” • “A Hanging” • “Animal Farm” • “Burmese Days” • “Coming Up for Air” • “Down and Out in Paris and London” • “Homage to Catalonia” • “Keep the Aspidistra Flying” • “Nineteen Eighty-four” • “Shooting an Elephant” • “Such, Such Were the Joys” • “The Lion and the Unicorn” • “The Road to Wigan Pier” • “Why I Write”

Did You Know?

Orwell was monitored by the U.K. Special Branch as a suspected communist.

Photos and Videos

George Orwell, c. 1940

Black and white National Union of Journalists identity card for George Orwell, featuring his portrait and handwritten details, issued in London around 1943.

George Orwell at POUM headquarters in Barcelona

George Orwell, kneeling on the right, milks a goat while Mahdjoub Mahommed, seated on the left, holds the animal steady outdoors in Morocco around 1938.

Eric Arthur Blair, known as George Orwell, holds his adopted son Richard Horatio Blair close to his face in a black and white portrait, both looking in different directions.

Eric Arthur Blair, known as George Orwell, stands right of center as the tallest man among a group of militia members at the Aragon Front, with Eileen Blair kneeling beside him.

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